In my role as librarian at the Signal Mountain Library, we daily examine book donations that we regularly receive from generous patrons. Some of these we access into our collection, and others we add to our used book sale in the Library’s lower level.
Recently my dear friend Anne was cleaning out her bookshelves and graciously offered her gleanings to the Library. To my delight, among the well-read classics and newer fiction, were several seasoned Middle Georgia cookbooks and small compilations of recipes from Macon, where I lived as a young bride. These latter items gave me an idea to share with our readers some of the popular dishes that were frequently served at luncheons in the late sixties and early seventies. It was truly rewarding to reflect on those times when life seemed to be at a slower pace, and my friends and I actually had time to prepare homemade breads and desserts for bridge parties, garden club functions, and potluck dinner parties.
I found that the directions included with the ingredients were often rather inscrutable. For example, “Lillie’s Fried Chicken” called for frying a half of an Irish potato along with the meat with no explanation of why or what to do with the potato after the chicken is done.
Some of the recipes below are from women with whom I went to college at Wesleyan, while others are from great cooks that are no longer with us. These selections would still make a great luncheon menu and are quite easy to prepare.
Let’s begin with a recipe for a drink that could accompany a brunch or luncheon and is named for the beautiful trees that grace many a Macon garden.
Magnolias
Combine and serve in large wine glasses, garnished with orange wedges and a sprig of mint. Makes 4 servings.
Next is a dish that is perfect for warm summer days when good tomatoes are available.
Iced Chicken Breasts
Cook chicken in broth until tender. Refrigerate in broth to cool.
Thoroughly mix cream cheese, mayonnaise, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and green onion.
Remove chicken from broth and pat dry. Completely coat the rounded side of each breast with the cream cheese dressing.
Arrange lettuce leaves on eight plates. Cut tomatoes into eight thick slices and place on lettuce; sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Arrange a chicken breast on each tomato slice. Halve and peel the avocados, cut each into four slices and arrange beside chicken. Sprinkle chicken with toasted nuts and garnish with olives. Serve with vinaigrette dressing on the side. Makes eight servings.
The following recipe is for a carrot salad that is a great accompaniment to the creamy chicken above. I bet you remember this and hope you will enjoy resurrecting this favorite from the sixties.
Copper Penny Salad
Cook carrot in salted water until tender. Drain and mix with onion and green pepper.
Mix remaining ingredients and pour over vegetables. Marinate overnight. Serve chilled. Makes eight servings.
The next recipe is titled “Nanny’s Angel Biscuits,” but I often make it into slightly fancier Parker House-style rolls, brushed with butter and folded over. You can also make the dough into delicious cinnamon pinwheels by adding one cup of sugar to the dry ingredients and rolling out dough into a rectangle. Then brush the dough with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon and more sugar, roll it up and slice it into pinwheels. Bake as described below. I have even made it into orange or lemon rolls by substituting zest and a small amount of juice for the cinnamon.
Nanny’s Angel Biscuits
Dissolve yeast in warm water. Sift together the dry ingredients. Cut shortening into dry ingredients using fingers to rub it until it is well combined.
Add yeast and buttermilk and stir until well mixed. Add enough flour to knead into a smooth mass. On floured surface, roll out dough and cut into desired shapes.
Place biscuits close together on baking sheet and brush with melted butter. Let rise until double in bulk in a warm, draft-free space.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and bake until lightly browned. Serve hot or cool, cover tightly with foil, and freeze. (If you don’t want to use it all at once, unbaked dough will keep for several days in refrigerator.) Makes about two and a half dozen biscuits or rolls.
This last recipe makes a yummy dessert. It calls for Italian Amaretti cookies, available at World Market and online. Well wrapped, these little treats may be frozen for at least a month, ready for an unexpected guest or a late-night treat.
Biscuit Tortoni
Mix Amaretti and most of the almonds, saving some for garnishing. Add sugar and one cup of cream. Whip remaining cream and fold it and the rum gently into the first mixture. Spoon into paper muffin cups and freeze. After two hours, sprinkle the tops with remaining almonds and decorate each center with a cherry. Return to freezer. Makes six to eight servings.
Recently my dear friend Anne was cleaning out her bookshelves and graciously offered her gleanings to the Library. To my delight, among the well-read classics and newer fiction, were several seasoned Middle Georgia cookbooks and small compilations of recipes from Macon, where I lived as a young bride. These latter items gave me an idea to share with our readers some of the popular dishes that were frequently served at luncheons in the late sixties and early seventies. It was truly rewarding to reflect on those times when life seemed to be at a slower pace, and my friends and I actually had time to prepare homemade breads and desserts for bridge parties, garden club functions, and potluck dinner parties.
I found that the directions included with the ingredients were often rather inscrutable. For example, “Lillie’s Fried Chicken” called for frying a half of an Irish potato along with the meat with no explanation of why or what to do with the potato after the chicken is done.
Some of the recipes below are from women with whom I went to college at Wesleyan, while others are from great cooks that are no longer with us. These selections would still make a great luncheon menu and are quite easy to prepare.
Let’s begin with a recipe for a drink that could accompany a brunch or luncheon and is named for the beautiful trees that grace many a Macon garden.
Magnolias
- 12 ounces orange juice
- 12 ounces champagne
- 1 ½ ounces Grand Marnier
- Ice cubes
- Sprigs of mint, for garnishing
Combine and serve in large wine glasses, garnished with orange wedges and a sprig of mint. Makes 4 servings.
Next is a dish that is perfect for warm summer days when good tomatoes are available.
Iced Chicken Breasts
- 8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 (10 ½-ounce) cans chicken broth
- 3-ounces cream cheese, plain or chives
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 1/2 Tsp. lemon zest
- 1/4 Tsp. salt
- 1 finely chopped green onion, both
- white and green parts
- Crisp Bibb lettuce leaves
- 2-3 large tomatoes, peeled and chilled
- Salt and pepper
- 2 large avocados
- 1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds or
- pecans
- Sliced olives, green or ripe
- Vinaigrette dressing
Cook chicken in broth until tender. Refrigerate in broth to cool.
Thoroughly mix cream cheese, mayonnaise, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and green onion.
Remove chicken from broth and pat dry. Completely coat the rounded side of each breast with the cream cheese dressing.
Arrange lettuce leaves on eight plates. Cut tomatoes into eight thick slices and place on lettuce; sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Arrange a chicken breast on each tomato slice. Halve and peel the avocados, cut each into four slices and arrange beside chicken. Sprinkle chicken with toasted nuts and garnish with olives. Serve with vinaigrette dressing on the side. Makes eight servings.
The following recipe is for a carrot salad that is a great accompaniment to the creamy chicken above. I bet you remember this and hope you will enjoy resurrecting this favorite from the sixties.
Copper Penny Salad
- 2 pounds carrots, thinly sliced
- 1 small, sweet onion
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 Tsp. prepared mustard
- 1 (5 1/2-ounce) can tomato juice
- 1 Tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- Salt and pepper to taste
Cook carrot in salted water until tender. Drain and mix with onion and green pepper.
Mix remaining ingredients and pour over vegetables. Marinate overnight. Serve chilled. Makes eight servings.
The next recipe is titled “Nanny’s Angel Biscuits,” but I often make it into slightly fancier Parker House-style rolls, brushed with butter and folded over. You can also make the dough into delicious cinnamon pinwheels by adding one cup of sugar to the dry ingredients and rolling out dough into a rectangle. Then brush the dough with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon and more sugar, roll it up and slice it into pinwheels. Bake as described below. I have even made it into orange or lemon rolls by substituting zest and a small amount of juice for the cinnamon.
Nanny’s Angel Biscuits
- 2 packages regular yeast
- 3 to 4 Tbsp. warm water
- 1 Tbsp. sugar
- 4 1/2 cups flour
- 1 cup shortening
- 1 Tsp. baking soda
- 3 Tsp. baking powder
- 1 1/2 Tsp. salt
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 1/2 cup melted butter
Dissolve yeast in warm water. Sift together the dry ingredients. Cut shortening into dry ingredients using fingers to rub it until it is well combined.
Add yeast and buttermilk and stir until well mixed. Add enough flour to knead into a smooth mass. On floured surface, roll out dough and cut into desired shapes.
Place biscuits close together on baking sheet and brush with melted butter. Let rise until double in bulk in a warm, draft-free space.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and bake until lightly browned. Serve hot or cool, cover tightly with foil, and freeze. (If you don’t want to use it all at once, unbaked dough will keep for several days in refrigerator.) Makes about two and a half dozen biscuits or rolls.
This last recipe makes a yummy dessert. It calls for Italian Amaretti cookies, available at World Market and online. Well wrapped, these little treats may be frozen for at least a month, ready for an unexpected guest or a late-night treat.
Biscuit Tortoni
- 1/2 cup crushed Amaretti
- 1/2 cup sliced toasted almonds
- 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 3 Tbsp. dark rum
- Maraschino cherries, for topping.
Mix Amaretti and most of the almonds, saving some for garnishing. Add sugar and one cup of cream. Whip remaining cream and fold it and the rum gently into the first mixture. Spoon into paper muffin cups and freeze. After two hours, sprinkle the tops with remaining almonds and decorate each center with a cherry. Return to freezer. Makes six to eight servings.