Lemon Sugar Cookies

The baby has a name. He is Sean Patrick Donovan III. Colleen called Sunday afternoon and told me directly. "Before my mother-in-law calls you about it, I wanted you to hear it from me." I said that was kind of her. She said she had fought it for three days and then she had looked at the baby and realized he looked like a Sean. She said "he looks like your father, Kate. He has your father's expression. I couldn't call him anything else." I cried in the kitchen. I had not known I was going to. Colleen heard me over the phone. She said "I know. I told Patrick, if he's going to look like Sean Senior, he should have Sean Senior's name." She is a good person. We do not tell her often enough. I told her. She said "shut up." That is her version of acceptance.

Maureen is unbearable with happiness. Third generation Sean Donovan, Engine 7 royalty, her first grandson to carry the name. She has already purchased a tiny red Sox onesie and the three-generation photo sitting is being booked for the summer. Patrick is trying to moderate her but has given up.

Liam was informed that the baby's name is Sean. He asked if that was like Daddy. I said Daddy's name is Sean. He said "and Grampa." I said yes. He said "and the baby." I said yes. He said "there are three Seans." I said there are many Seans. He said "but three here." I said "yes, Buddy. Three here." He walked off and was quiet for a while. I think he was building a taxonomy. Later he came back and said "which Sean is my Sean." I said Daddy is your Daddy. He said "okay." The taxonomy resolved.

The lemon chicken this week was in the cast iron, one pan, with the crispy potatoes and the capers and the brown butter. Maureen's recipe, more or less, adjusted over the years. I have started to notice I am adjusting her recipes forward, and I wonder if, eventually, I will stop calling them hers. I do not know if I want that. There is a dignity in saying "my mother's lemon chicken" that I am not ready to give up. There is also a dignity in owning what you make. I do not need to resolve this tonight.

Sean had a hard day at school Wednesday — a kid in his first period had a panic attack mid-class, Sean handled it well, got the nurse, stayed with the student, but came home wrung out. He ate the lemon chicken standing at the counter with the specific attention of a man who needed the particular comfort of brown butter and who had not eaten since lunch. He told me about it over the last of the wine. He wondered if he had done the right thing — too calm, not calm enough, should have called the parent faster, should have waited. I said Sean, you did it the way you always do, which is the right way. He said "okay." He went to bed. Teachers carry things you do not see. I know this because I live with one.

Lemon was already all over this week — in the cast iron, in the brown butter, in the particular comfort of a meal that does its job without asking to be thanked for it. After Colleen called, after Liam built his taxonomy of Seans, after Sean came home wrung out from a Wednesday no one plans for, I wanted to end it with something small and bright and a little bit sweet. These lemon sugar cookies are not Maureen’s recipe. But lemon is lemon, and some weeks you just follow the thread wherever it goes.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 12 min | Total Time: 27 min | Servings: 24 cookies

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup granulated sugar, plus 1/3 cup for rolling
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp lemon zest (from 2 large lemons)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp cream cheese, softened

Instructions

Preheat. Heat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Mix dry ingredients. Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Cream butter and sugar. In a large bowl, beat softened butter, cream cheese, and 1 cup sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add wet ingredients. Beat in the egg, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract until fully combined. The mixture may look slightly curdled — that’s fine.
Combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir or mix on low just until a soft dough forms. Do not overmix.
Roll and coat. Place the remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a shallow bowl. Scoop dough into roughly 1 1/2-tablespoon portions, roll into balls, and roll each ball in the sugar to coat completely.
Bake. Arrange on prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the edges are just set and the centers look barely done. They will firm as they cool — do not overbake.
Cool. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. They keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Nutrition (per serving)

Lemon Sugar Cookies — Something Sweet for the Week We Named Him Sean