Recipes with lemon zest

Mussels and shrimp with penne in a fresh tomato sauce with garlic, basil, mint, and a splash of brandy. A rustic Italian seafood pasta dinner.

Cream cheese lemon pound cake from a doctored boxed mix with cream cheese, lemon zest and lemon gelatin. Tender, tangy bundt cake that tastes anything but boxed.

Fig chess tarts with a buttery lemon-scented shortbread shell, filled with brown sugar custard studded with chopped dried figs and walnuts. A Southern chess pie translated into bite-sized tart form.

Lemon refrigerator cookies with fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, and chopped nuts. A slice-and-bake icebox cookie with bright citrus flavor that makes 6 dozen from one batch of dough.

Tiramisu made with mascarpone blended with cottage cheese for a lighter, less heavy filling. Coffee-soaked ladyfingers, a cloud of whipped egg whites, and a dusting of cocoa, with no baking required.

Sautéed tempeh, leeks, and wild mushroom stew braises crisped tempeh with four kinds of mushrooms, sweet leeks, garlic, and herbs in a wine-broth gravy. A hearty plant-based main with deep umami flavor.

Seared bay scallops glazed with a reduced vermouth and lemon sauce, finished with fresh dill and cracked pepper. A light, elegant 20-minute seafood dish with bright, clean flavors.

Sour cream lemon pie folds tangy sour cream into a stovetop lemon curd before pouring it into a pre-baked shell. The result is creamier and less sharp than classic lemon meringue, finished with whipped cream and lemon twists.

Whole red snapper stuffed with a creamy filling of sour cream, dill, lemon zest, and seasoned breadcrumbs, then baked until the flesh flakes apart. An elegant centerpiece for seafood dinners.

Tender cream cheese cookies with lemon zest and a thumbprint of apricot filling, finished with a dusting of powdered sugar.

Genoise sponge cake soaked in Amaretto and filled with whipped chocolate ganache. A classic French-Italian dessert with lemon zest in the cake and piped chocolate decoration.

This cake is absolutely delicious and looks very pretty with the different color fruit on top.

Italian ricotta cheesecake with candied orange and lemon peel, golden raisins, and a splash of amaretto in a shortbread crust. Lighter and less sweet than American cream cheese cheesecake, dense in a softer way.

Apfelschaum is a baked Swabian apple mousse: tart Granny Smith apples stewed in white wine, sieved smooth, then folded with stiff egg whites and baked low for an airy traditional German dessert.

Scallops, shrimp, and crab in a creamy mustard and sherry sauce baked in shells with golden breadcrumbs. A classic French seafood gratin that feels like a special occasion.

Portuguese biscotti, lemon-scented ring-shaped butter cookies with a crisp, slightly crumbly texture. A Portuguese-American tradition that differs from Italian biscotti with lemon and a single bake.