This is a very special post. No, not because it contains the recipe for an amazing dark chocolate brownie. It marks both the 100th post and the first anniversary of Domestic Pursuits. I’ve enjoyed sharing my cooking adventures and look forward to working my way through many more interesting recipes and domestic activities in the coming year. Happy Anniversary to us!

Now onto the delicious part…

After picking up a container of Edy’s Slow Churned Pumpkin ice cream last night, I decided that I needed brownies to go with it. Pumpkin and chocolate is my new favorite flavor combination and you just can’t go wrong with brownies a la mode!

I love this recipe for mint brownie cups and decided to eliminate the mint extract to yield traditional brownies. As I started baking, I realized that I didn’t have the right balance of chocolate, so these brownies contain more bittersweet chocolate than the originals. Since I eliminated the mint extract, I decided to add some amaretto to further emphasize the richness of the chocolate. These changes yielded a decadent brownie with a smooth, dark chocolate flavor.

Dark Chocolate Brownie Cups
Yields 14-16 brownies

6 tbsp butter
6 oz bittersweet chocolate (chopped)
2 oz. semi-sweet chocolate (chopped)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp amaretto
1/4 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2 Line a muffin tin with paper liners. Lightly spray liners with cooking spray.
3. In a heat-proof bowl, melt together butter and chocolate in the microwave in 30 second intervals stirring after each interval until smooth. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
5. Whisk or beat the sugar into the chocolate mixture.
6. Add eggs, amaretto and vanilla extract to the chocolate mixture and mix until well combined and smooth.
7. Add flour mixture and mix until combined.
8. Gently fold in the 1/2 cup chocolate chips.
9. Pour batter into prepared muffin cups. Each cup should be about 2/3 full.
10. Bake for 18-23 minutes or until a cake tester comes out with a few crumbs.
11. Allow brownies to cool before removing from muffin pan.

I’m always looking for a reason to try out new recipes, and to share new favorites with friends and family. Mother’s Day presented the perfect opportunity for a little bit of both.

We celebrated Mother’s Day with my mother, father and brother on Saturday evening. After a delicious take-out meal from a local Italian restaurant, we had a gold cake frosted with Hershey’s “Perfectly Chocolate” Chocolate Frosting.

On Sunday, we hosted a brunch for my husband’s mother and sister. We served coffee, mimosas, fresh fruit with creamy dip, crustless quiche, orange blueberry muffins and strawberry banana muffins.

It was a lovely weekend, and I am so grateful for our wonderful moms!

***The photo above was taken by my Mom in her beautiful perennial garden.***

I’d like to take the opportunity to welcome my dear friend Lisa to Domestic Pursuits. We’ve known each other for more than twenty years. Lisa will be a regular contributor to the blog, sharing her experiences with cooking, baking, household projects and other domestic endeavors.

I’m impressed that in the midst of her crazy schedule, she not only finds time to prepare meals, but make many interesting food items from scratch. Some of her creations include bread, butter, ice cream, sorbet, sushi and various types of pasta. I’ve sampled her delicious cooking on numerous occasions and I’m looking forward to trying out her recipes myself!

I’ve been making this recipe for Dijon Alfredo Sauce for years. My husband and I stumbled across this on allrecipes.com when we were searching for a cream sauce to go along with a bottle of Gew?rztraminer that we had picked up.

The Dijon mustard adds an interesting bite to the creamy Alfredo sauce and complements the asparagus quite nicely. In fact, this dish made me fall in love with asparagus. The sauce is rather rich, but it’s a fun treat. This dish has always gotten rave reviews from guests.

I love making this dish for company because of its’ unique flavor combinations and impressive presentation. It does require around 30 minutes of hands-on preparation, but the steps aren’t too complicated. I typically work on dinner while casually visiting with guests in the kitchen.

Based upon reader reviews, I have lightened up a the recipe by reducing the amount of butter and using light cream in place of whipping cream. I also use far less mustard than the original recipe. The resulting sauce is rich, smooth and flavorful.

Asparagus and Ravioli with Dijon Alfredo Sauce

Yields 4 servings

2 (9 ounce) packages refrigerated chicken- or cheese-filled ravioli
1 pound fresh asparagus
6 tbsp butter, divided
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1-2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 1/2 cups light cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon pepper

1. Cook ravioli in a large saucepan according to package directions; drain and keep warm.
2. Snap off tough ends of asparagus; cut asparagus into 2-inch-long pieces.
3. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add asparagus, and saute 2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Spoon over ravioli.
4. Melt remaining 5 tablespoons butter in skillet over medium heat; add garlic, and saute 1 minute. Whisk in mustard. Gradually whisk in light cream until smooth.
5. Bring cream mixture to a boil; reduce heat, and cook, stirring often, 5 minutes. Stir in cheese and remaining ingredients. Cook, stirring constantly, until cheese melts. Pour over asparagus and ravioli, and toss. Serve immediately.

It’s been a wonderful weekend and I’m cooking up a storm. Stay tuned tomorrow for recipes for homemade artisan bread and pasta e fagioli!

Some people might think it?s crazy to try baking whoopie pies for the first time at 9:30 on a Tuesday night. Well, call me crazy. Cooking, baking and puttering around the house rank among my favorite hobbies. There?s nothing better than trying a new recipe, painting something around the house or getting creative with my sewing machine.

I hope to share my love of cooking, baking, crafting and all things domestic! Please feel free to comment. If you try a recipe, please let me know how it comes out. If you make any changes ? I?d love to know! I?m notorious for selecting multiple recipes and grabbing what I like from each one to make my ideal creation.

I look forward to hearing about your kitchen and household adventures!