Pizza Muffins

You read that right. Pizza Muffins. What's a pizza muffin you as? It's a pizza that you can eat for breakfast. No not quite,. It's just an amazing way to start the day.

So as you know the good people at Del Monte sent me a nice basket of goodies. I made this Carrot and Apple Cake with the Evoo in it, but was really trying to work out some savoury things to make. Because the basket did have the latest pasta sauces, assorted pasta and a lovely jar of olives.

These muffins came to me quite by accident while I was filling some cupcakes the other day. The tomato basil sauce seemed perfect for filling and dipping and so I figured this could be perfect.

I've used both whole wheat and all purpose, but it can be easily be replaced by corn meal or even millet. The flavours can be intensified with more basil - maybe some fresh even - more garlic and lots and lots more cheese. The topping too can vary between salami, pepperoni and even a combination of olives. In other words, feel free to tamper, it's an extremely forgiving recipe. Serve it warm with some butter and some more of the sauce to make it sublime.

Pizza Muffins
Makes 6

Ingredients
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp red chili flakes
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 onion chopped and sauteed
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup cheese of your choice
1/4 cup Del Monte Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tblsp + 6 tsp Del Monte tomato Basil sauce
1/4 cup Del Monte Olives chopped

For the topping
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup Del Monte Olives sliced

Directions

1. Chop the onion fine and saute it in a tiny bit of olive oil and keep aside
2. In a mixing bowl measure out all the dry ingredients - flours, baking powder, seasonings, salt. Keep aside.
3. In a glass break the egg, measure out the oil and milk and Del Monte Pizza sauce and mix in the cheese.
4. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix quickly.
5. In a muffin lined tray, into each case drop one tablespoon of the mix, followed by a tsp of the Del monte tomato basil sauce. Drop another another tsp of the mix to seal the muffins. Top each muffin with mozzarella cheese and sliced olives.
6. Bake for 20 minutes at 180 C till a skewer comes out clean
7. Eat hot, while using the pizza sauce as a dip.