A praline is a type of candy made by coating nuts (usually pecans or almonds) in caramelized sugar. The word comes from a French diplomat named Marshal du Plessis-Praslin, whose chef created the first version in the 1600s.

In America, especially in the South, pralines are soft, creamy candies made with pecans, brown sugar, butter, and cream. New Orleans is famous for its pralines, which tourists buy from candy shops in the French Quarter. These Southern pralines are smooth and melt in your mouth, tasting rich and buttery with a sweet crunch from the pecans.

In France and Belgium, pralines are quite different: hard, crunchy candies made by coating almonds in crystallized sugar, or chocolate shells filled with hazelnut paste. Belgian chocolate shops sell fancy pralines in beautiful boxes.

The texture and recipe vary dramatically depending on where you are. What never changes is the combination of nuts and sugar, transformed through careful cooking into something more delicious than either ingredient alone. Making pralines requires patience and precise timing: cook the sugar too little and it won't set properly; cook it too long and it burns. When done right, though, pralines are irresistible.