Every May Salt & Straw dedicates the month to the magic of spring’s awakening. April showers bring May flowers and what better way to honor their beauty than by eating them? While I’m not a huge fan of floral ice cream’s I am a major mark for that sweet sweet nectar created with flowers via super buzzy bee love. Honey creates the foundation for some of the tastiest bases I’ve ever had, and while I’ll pass on Jasmine Chocolate Chip, and I can never turn my back on a pint of Pooh’s favorite. Wildflower Honey with Ricotta Walnut Lace Cookies combines honey ricotta ice cream with a hint of lemon and homemade whole oat and walnut lace cookies frosted with buttery ricotta icing.

The honey ricotta ice cream is incredibly refreshing with a wonderfully balanced slightly tart but predominantly sweet citrus flavor. Lemon’s bright acidic burst is the leading flavor, but rounded out by all the fat isn’t too harsh or in your face like a sorbet would be. The ricotta’s mild cheesiness and smooth texture gives an extra lush yet slightly chunky, but not gritty, mouthfeel that pushes it beyond your standard only cream-based affair. The honey notes come through mostly on the finish putting a pretty floral bow on the dreamy spring-time profile.

The combination of oats and walnuts bring an earthy presence to the overall flavor with a soft buttery chew like any good cookie should. What’s most impressive about the baked lace is the way the ricotta icing actually comes through and adds an extra pop of sweetness to the already sweet but slightly funky base. I love all cookies in ice cream, especially the way they break down and mimic being dunked in milk, and that wonderful sensation is on full display in this pint.

This is a perfect example of a rich-yet-light ice cream that delivers on both repeat scoop-ability and a balance of natural flavors that all work together to make something more special than the sum of its parts. It’s balanced, unique, and achieves a creamy-yet-tart profile that doesn’t pop up nearly as often as it should.

Rating: 8.5/10

Found at: Salt & Straw ($11.00)