One-Pot Wonders

Magical Hot Cereal

by:
April 24, 2021
5
4 Ratings
Magical Hot Cereal
  • Makes 1 serving
Author Notes

There's this restaurant in Union Square called Neighborhood Restaurant & Bakery that serves the best Cream of Wheat I've ever tasted. It's creamy and just the perfect sweetness with the added depth that comes from a pinch of salt. There's a velvetiness that probably comes from cream and/or butter. And then there's a bright note of citrus and the comfort of vanilla and cinnamon.

I've asked for the recipe, or at the very least the ingredients, but they've never shared it with me. There's whole posts on Chowhound where people try to figure out what's in it. After some experimentation, I think I've found a recipe and method that gets pretty close to the real thing. I use Bob's Red Mill 7 Grain Hot Cereal instead of Cream of Wheat for some extra fiber and protein, but it turns out almost as creamy as Cream of Wheat due to the constant stirring and risotto-style method of adding small amounts of liquid when the previously added liquid has been absorbed. —Joy Huang | The Cooking of Joy

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1/4 cup Bob's Red Mill 7 Grain Hot Cereal
  • 1/4 teaspoon orange rind, finely grated
  • 1 dash kosher salt
  • 1 dash ground cinnamon
  • 1 pinch fresh ground nutmeg
  • 4-5 tablespoons vanilla soy milk
  • 2 drops vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon butter
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
Directions
  1. In a small pot, add orange rind to water and bring to a boil.
  2. Add cereal, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg and reduce heat. Stir while cooking and add the soy milk a tablespoon at a time when liquid has been fully absorbed by the cereal.
  3. When the cereal is done, about 6 minutes, add vanilla extract, butter, and maple syrup. Stir to mix and serve hot.
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  • Lillian Erickson
    Lillian Erickson
  • JadeTree
    JadeTree
  • lmikkel
    lmikkel
  • Joy Huang | The Cooking of Joy
    Joy Huang | The Cooking of Joy

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9 Reviews

Whatever23
Whatever23 May 21, 2023
Best recipe ever. This is comfort food.
 
Lillian E.
Lillian E. December 2, 2021
Really tasted pretty good. I just made it with the water, 7 grain, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, pure stevia extract powder, and almond milk; along with applause on the side and spiced/dilled scrambled eggs.
 
4Sunflowers
4Sunflowers April 24, 2021
This is amazing! Fabulous on chilly mornings.
 
AnneR
AnneR January 27, 2017
I just made this for breakfast this morning and am already craving the next time I can make it! Thanks for the recipe-- and all your Taiwanese recipes too! I used to live there, so I pine after the flavors and textures I haven't been able to find again. If you ever find a good zhuabing recipe, not a cong you bing or even a danbing-- those don't quite hit the spot-- I would quite literally eat it up. Or any other vegetarian recipes from there! The eggplant so often found at biandangs, zhongzi, etc. Thanks again!
 
Joy H.
Joy H. January 27, 2017
You're welcome. I've been experimenting with different zhua bing recipes, but can't seem to find one that is anything like the ones I used to get from the street vendors. Let me know if you ever find a good one, too!
 
JadeTree
JadeTree February 16, 2015
This is crazy delicious. I tripled it for our family, which bumped the cooking time and soy milk proportions up but I just treated it like risotto as you suggested? Perfect! The orange zest IS the magic. Thank you!
 
Joy H.
Joy H. February 16, 2015
You're welcome! Glad you and your family liked it!
 
lmikkel
lmikkel March 24, 2014
Thank you for sharing this recipe. It is delicious!
 
Joy H.
Joy H. March 24, 2014
You're welcome!