a vehicle for blueberry syrup

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)