The Neighborhood Cream Of Wheat Copycat

Step 1: Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a medium sauce pan over medium low heat.

Step 2: Once melted, add the cream of wheat and stir often until it just barely begins to brown. (If you go too far and get noticeable browning, throw it out and start over.)

Step 3: Stirring (whisking) constantly.

Step 4: Add 2 1/4 cups of milk, reserving the remaining 1/4 cup to adjust the consistency later.

Step 5: You'll get a burst of steam when you first start to add the milk to the frying cream of wheat, so watch out. If you don't stir at this point, you'll get lumps.

Step 6: Once the milk has been added, turn the heat down to low, and add the salt, sugar and cinnamon.

Step 7: Let cook slowly for about ten minutes, stirring often, then stir in the vanilla and remove from heat. The porridge will continue to cook for a bit, and will thicken some as it cools.

Step 8: Consistency is key here -- you want the finished product to have the texture of a warm loose pudding, which means it needs to be on the liquidly side at this point. If it's too thick, add a bit more milk to thin it out.

Step 9: Cover the sauce pan and let it sit for five minutes or so, then stir in the remaining butter and pour into two bowls.

Step 10: At the Neighborhood, they add a shake cinnamon before serving.