Country Griddle Cakes With Blueberry Compote

Don't you hate it when a restaurant stops serving one of your favorite dishes?  That's what happened to me when IHOP stopped serving their Country Griddle Cakes.  I was so mad and I still don't understand what their problem is.  It took me years to find a decent copycat recipe and this one is the closest to the real thing.  It comes out of a cookbook that is made up entirely of copycat recipes of popular restaurant dishes.  If you want to purchase the book, you'll find it here. 

The recipe calls for instant Cream of Wheat.  I take this to mean the 1 minute kind that comes in a cream colored box:

I've had better success with this variety over the 2 1/2 minute kind in the red box.

COUNTRY GRIDDLE CAKES
from Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/3 cup instant Cream of Wheat (dry)
1 egg
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat griddle over medium heat (325 degrees).  Spray with non-stick cooking spray.  In a medium bowl, mix the dry ingredients, then add the egg, oil, and buttermilk.  Beat with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth (do not over mix).  Pour the batter by 1/3 cup-fuls onto the hot griddle and cook for 1-3 minutes on each side or until browned.

BLUEBERRY COMPOTE
adapted from justapinch.com

2 cups fresh blueberries
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. lemon juice (fresh is best)

Combine 1 cup of blueberries, water, sugar, and lemon juice in a small saucepan.  Cook over medium heat for 8 minutes.  Add the remaining blueberries and cook for 8 minutes more (reducing heat if mixture thickens too quickly).  Serve warm.