AUSTIN, Texas — Sharon Richardson's office isn't full of computers and printers.

"I do not like working in corporate America," said Richardson.

What she does like is cooking. Richardson turned her passion into a really sweet business.

"We use raw sugar, butter, a little vanilla and a pinch of salt."

Richardson is talking about Christen's Gourmet Pralines. Christen is her daughter's name. The recipe was handed down — not written down — from generation to generation. 

"It was a pinch of this or a smidgen of that. And that's how you learned to cook. That's how I learned to cook," said Richardson.

She and her husband Austin lived in New Orleans. A force of nature more than 15 years ago changed everything.

"I hardly ever had to evacuate for a hurricane. This was different and we knew it was different," said Richardson.

The couple made the tough decision to move to Texas following Hurricane Katrina. They settled near Austin.

"We had to figure out something to do. I was born in New Orleans. I was raised in New Orleans. I knew how to cook. And I knew how to make pralines. Its your birthright," said Richardson.

Christen's Gourmet Pralines was born. That's "prah-leen" not "pray-leen."

"When I moved to Texas after Katrina people here said, 'pray-leen' and I called my mom and I told her and she said, 'That's really crazy. I wouldn't even buy them from somebody that said pray-leen,'" said Richardson.

She says what is unique about Christen's Gourmet Pralines is the blend of ingredients. Its not anything fancy. The recipe isn't even written down. It comes from the heart and is passed down through the generations.