I had big plans for these Valentine’s Day Madeleines. This time last year I made Red Velvet Cake Cookies topped with cream cheese frosting and happy little red sprinkles- a little more effort than I usually shell out for a cookie but completely worth it.

This year I had visions of dipping red velvet madeleines in white chocolate and round two-ing the red sprinkles. At the very least I thought I would do a sprinkling of powdered sugar.

But then I tasted one (or three) out of the oven and it just felt wrong to add anything to them. They are sweet, chocolatey, moist and perfect all on their own.

You’ll need:

• 0.75 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large egg
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 0.75 cup butter, melted and cooled
• 2 tablespoons red liquid food coloring
• 1 1/3 cup cake flour
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
• 0.5 teaspoon baking powder
• 0.25 teaspoon salt

To Make (30):

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Beat sugar, eggs, egg yolks and vanilla extract in a large bowl on medium-high speed with an electric mixer for five minutes until thick and pale.
2. Add butter and food coloring and beat until well blended.
3. In a medium bowl, sift together cake flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine.
4. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined (it’s okay if there are little bits of flour showing).
5. Lightly grease your shiny madeleine pan with melted butter or cooking spray.  Take a paper towel and wipe the madeleine dish.  This ensures the pan is very lightly grease, otherwise the madeleines over brown.
6. Spoon batter into greased pan, roughly 1 tablespoon per madeleine. Cook for 7-8 minutes. Remove from pan right when it comes out of the oven and set aside to cool. Repeat process with remaining batter.

Inspired by MyRecipes