My especially famous Ma-Lou Pralines are a sugar and nut confection made, with much cleanliness and care, from the recipe of my old Missus Mammy, Marie-Louise. For commercial purposes I abbreviated her name into Ma-Lou. The plantation mammies each had their own recipe for making pralines, guarded it carefully and handed it down from generation to generation by word of mouth.

      How did the praline acquire such a drôle name? Way back in the days of sailing vessels when news and fashions took months to travel from Paris to New Orleans, there lived in Paris a French Marshal and Diplomat, César du Plessis-Praslin (pronounced Praline).

      Now Marshal Praslin had a sweet tooth and his chef in an effort to please him dipped almonds into sugar and called the new tidbit praline after Marshal Praslin. Our Southern gentleman made business trips to Paris and no doubt brought back some of these delicious pralines to “the Missus”. Mommy who reigned as mistress of the plantation kitchen, by virtue of her excellent cooking, felt that this new confection was a challenge. So, she prepared a confection that has lived through the ages—she used a Louisiana nut called pecan (pronounced peakon) and sugar made from Louisiana sugar cane—instead of one nut she used a handful to a “patty” for good measure. These faithful old darkies loved to adopt family names and to mimic what the “Boss” did, so mammy named her candy Praline, feeling quite sure that if what came from Paris was goof enough for her “Missus”, it was good enough for her. So the Praline, outstanding candy of the old Negro Mammies, has become synonymous with New Orleans!

      This comes to you direct from my Famous Kitchen at 630 Saint Peter; the only place in New Orleans where you may see mammy making pralines. Let me caution you, when buying pralines, be sure to ask for Ma-Lou Pralines—an excellent product, made and sold only by me, and what a privilege to see WHERE your candy is made and HOW its made!