A Southern Grace: a vehicle for blueberry syrup

May 25, 2008

a vehicle for blueberry syrup

Yum

I don't (usually) consider myself a food snob, but rarely do I eat at fast food restaurants. However, I can't deny my love for IHOP, if only for their Harvest Grain 'n Nut Pancakes.


In all actuality I think it may be the blueberry syrup that lures me there, which brings me to my next epicurean endeavor.

If you'll recall, the oh-so-generous Melanie from My Kitchen Cafe recently sent me some outstanding goodies from Utah. Included in my box was some wild blueberry syrup, so clearly, I needed to break out my pancake tools.


(glorious cast-iron skillet, how I adore thee)

I found a copycat recipe for those yummy Harvest Grain 'n Nut pancakes that got some pretty rave reviews, so I decided to try it out.


The 5-star rating on Recipezaar is completely deserved. Yes, they taste a bit different from IHOP's version, but certainly not in a negative way. They're hearty and healthy and quite scrumtrulescent (just seeing if you're paying attention, Little Brother), especially with the addition of cinnamon (of course) and copious amounts of that syrup.


(just look at that poised-to-drip droplet...mmm)

I'm here to tell you, friends and neighbors, that if you like blueberry syrup, you should order some from the Blackberry Patch. It's perfectly sweet, with a nice bit of texture created by the seeds. Frankly, I wanted to skip the pancakes and just tip up the bottle of syrup and guzzle. (I resisted.)

I now know that what IHOP calls "blueberry syrup" is a poor imitation of the real thing. I guess I never need to go to IHOP again (unless I enter sloth-mode)(which can happen at any time)(without warning).

Thanks again Melanie!


Would You Like a Little Pancake With Your Syrup?
Appropriately-Absorbent Whole Wheat Pancakes

(adapted from here)
makes about 8 3-inch pancakes and 1 sponge (my name for the sacrificial miniature pancake that I use to soak up and spread the oil on the skillet)



3/4 cup quick oats
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons chopped pecans
3 tablespoons chopped walnuts
1 5-oz bottle blueberry syrup a la Blackberry Patch (just kidding--I only used half of the bottle...)

Lightly oil a skillet or griddle, and preheat it to medium heat.
Combine oats, whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
In another bowl combine buttermilk, oil, egg, and sugar and mix until smooth.
Combine dry ingredients with wet ingredients, add nuts and mix until all ingredients are moistened.
Ladle 1/3 cup of the batter onto the hot skillet and cook the pancakes for 2 to 4 minutes per side or until properly browned.



(yes, that's a book in the background...I do read occasionally)

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm not big on blueberry syrup but those pancakes looks so irresistibly thick and tasty!

Cheryl said...

Those look great! I'm not usually a fan of whole wheat pancakes, but I think I could get on board with these!

krysta said...

that syrup is the best. they also have a maple praline that's pretty good too.

Melanie said...

Your posts always make me chuckle - this is no exception! I'm so, so glad you like the blueberry syrup. It is awesome, I will second you on that. The pancake recipe looks fabulous, too, by the way.

Anonymous said...

Let me at em'...step outta da way!

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

These sure beat the quick breakfast I had this morning:D

Dana said...

First of all, HOMG, I'm making these pancakes ASAP. They look fan-tastic. And ain't nothin' wrong with IHOP. Just the thought of their pumpkin pancakes makes me drool (even if the floor in their restaurants is always disturbingly sticky...).

test it comm said...

That pancake recipe sounds both good and healthy. I really like the sound of blueberry syrup.

LyB said...

Chopped nuts in a pancake recipe, what a brilliant idea! They look incredible, and I think fresh blueberries and maple syrup would do these justice, right? :)

Anonymous said...

I work about three buildings down from IHOP. I walk there every Wednesday to grab the Wednesday paper and the food section. I now must CONTROL myself not to walk in and spend valuable work time getting pancakes!

Anonymous said...

omg i LOVE blueberry syrup!!! so yum on everything! you seem to like blueberries a lot - first blueberry muffins and now blueberry syrup?

Mike of Mike's Table said...

This sounds like a perfect way of enjoying the syrup. Sounds like quite a way to start the day!

giz said...

I'll have 1/2 pancake and 2 jars of syrup please.

Emily said...

What are you reading kiddo? Can I call you kiddo? I don't think I can.

I love pancakes. Especially with blueberry syrup. Any kind will do.

Anonymous said...

Oh I just had to read this when I'm all hungry and craving for pancakes. In my mind, it was maple syrup, but hey, I'll take blueberry syrup anytime!

Nic said...

I'd love to try these pancakes, another one for the growing list!

Anonymous said...

As someone that always asks for more syrup and less pancake, I am totally drooling after that syrup (we don't have blueberry syrup here :( ) but the pancakes are making me crave the "vehicle" too!

Anonymous said...

Oh, I so love ihop, and it is a secret between my daughter m and I.
Steak omelet, pumpkin pancakes, grits and hashbrowns. So good.

Indranee Batabyal said...

Hey Grace, your pancakes look tantalizing! I absolutely love pancakes, so thanks a lot for sharing this recipe!

Lore said...

Love berries in any form and blueberries are my favourite :). Your pancakes sure have the "addictive" gene.

Cakespy said...

I say bring on the wheat--love it. Although I will admit, I don't like syrup! I take my pancakes with butter only!

Anonymous said...

you had me at blueberry! wow! and wheat pancakes to boot! i can't wait to try these.

Deborah said...

I just made pancakes this weekend, but now I want some of these!

Anonymous said...

Thick and delicious looking pancakes. I'm pretty unimpressed by most pancakes so that's saying a lot.

Also, I like the format of your blog very much.

Hetal said...

Visiting ur blog for the first time.....lovely blog,loved these pancakes.Would love to see u on my blog.