The Pilgrimage

• Pralines came to the United States in 1727, when Ursuline nuns brought young women from France to marry New Orleans colonists, according to the Southern Candymakers website. The nuns taught the women how to behave in society and with a husband, which included the art of making pralines. Because pecans were the local nut, they eventually replaced almonds in the praline recipe. When the girls were married and settled around Louisiana, they continued making pralines.

The Pralinieres

• During the 19th century, women in the French Quarter of New Orleans called "pralinieres" sold pralines on the streets. Many of the saleswomen saw it as a way to provide for themselves with no strings attached. By this time, the New Orleans praline recipe had been perfected and the praline was on its way to becoming the staple it is today.

Be Prepared

• When making pralines, prepare everything ahead of time and stick to the recipe. There aren't a whole lot of variations to the classic praline recipe, and that's because it's just about perfect the way it is. Have all the ingredients measured out ahead of time, because once the process gets going, you won't have time to stop and get something if you want your pralines to turn out well. Have a large sheet of parchment spread out to receive the pralines when they're ready.

Why You Must Keep Stirring

• When it comes to stirring the praline mixture in the pot, you must keep going until it is time to start bringing them out. At the beginning, the sugary mixture is runny and loose against the spoon. As you continue to stir, the syrup thickens and sugar crystals form. If you stop stirring, the sugars will start to harden in the pot and you won't be able to spoon them out onto the parchment fast enough. When those crystals feel grainy against the spoon, it's time to get those pralines out of the pot to harden and serve.