Those legendary bran muffins from Murray’s Restaurants? My family practically lived at Murray’s, growing up in the Montreal area. I have hazy memories (likely because I was too short to see over the table) of tagging along with my older sister and cousin. They were off to conquer the bunny hills at ski school, with the Town of Mount Royal / Lucerne Shopping Centre serving as our grand central station for the ski bus. Luckily, this bustling hub had a Murray’s – one of many dotted around Montreal like delicious little beacons of comfort food. (Sadly, they all eventually vanished except for this one lone survivor, which tragically closed years later. sniff)
Murray’s was a world apart from our usual haunts. The menu was a glorious tapestry of what I later discovered was classic “diner food” – the kind of fare that sticks to your ribs and warms your soul. (Stay tuned for a future deep dive into that menu on The Lunch Pro website, complete with a video tour that’ll make your mouth water!)
But here’s the thing that always tickled me: without fail, after the waitress (always in a smart blue uniform, like a friendly member of the Murray’s Air Force, see above) took our order, she’d ask, “Do you want muffins or rolls?” At home, bread with dinner was rarely served, and muffins? Muffins were strictly breakfast territory. I mean, who pairs a bran muffin with “Chicken in the Basket“? It seemed like culinary sacrilege!
Growing Up with Murray’s Bran Muffins
Yet, as I matured (and started venturing to Murray’s solo, like a true gourmand), I developed a deep appreciation for this quirky ritual, and bran muffins became my go-to, a secret pleasure only indulged in within those hallowed walls. (If they dared to offer only corn muffins, I’d reluctantly settle for rolls. The horror!) My mother (and sometimes even yours truly) would squirrel those muffins away in napkins, smuggling them home for a next-day breakfast treat.
Fast forward to the present, and after countless hours of kitchen alchemy (and maybe a few flour explosions), I’ve cracked the code! I’ve managed to recreate those legendary Murray’s Bran Muffins. My version is a tad healthier (shh, don’t tell!), but you won’t taste the difference.
So, as we journey through the culinary wonderland of Murray’s menu on The Lunch Pro website (where we’ve already unveiled their iconic Steamed Fruit Pudding), I’m thrilled to present… drumroll …the Bran Muffin that once reigned supreme!
Murray’s Restaurants Bran Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cup Oat Flour All purpose will work almost as well
- 1 1/2 cup Wheat Bran
- 1 tbsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 1/2 cup Milk (any type, even non-dairy)
- 1 Large Egg
- 1/2 cup Honey
- 1/4 cup Molasses
- 1/3 cup Light Brown Sugar
- 1/4 cup Softened Butter
- 1/4 cup Raisins or Currants
Instructions
- Preheat Oven to 375F
- Mix all dry ingredients (flour, bran, baking powder) in a large bowl. Omit the brown sugar!
- Use a whisk to mix all the dry ingredients
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix all the wet ingredients plus the brown sugar
- Using a spoon, mix all the wet ingredients until well blended, avoid over-mixing!
- Add the raisins to the wet ingredients
- Integrate the wet ingredients into the dry. I make a well to reduce clumping.
- Using a scoop, pour around 1/2 cup of butter into large muffin cups
- Bake for about 30 minutes but start checking for doneness and burning starting at 20 minutes. They're done when a skewer inserted into the middle of a muffin, comes out clean
- Cool them on a rack before removing them from the pan
- Eat them warm, they can be stored in the fridge or freezer.
- Murray's always served them with butter,
