The best pralines I have ever eaten were in New Orleans, from a shop near the French Market called Aunt Sally’s, a family-owned, women-led company that has been hand-pouring French Creole-style pralines since 1935.

Never saccharine-sweet or grainy as some pralines can be, Aunt Sally’s sets the bar to measure all the rest, and Praline Apple Cake captures the spirit of their perfection.

It is the cake version of Aunt Sally’s pralines.

Let’s say you want to give Aunt Sally a gift card to a clothing store.

“I do have an aunt Sally,” Madge says, amazed.