King’s Freelines

These soft, delicious, homemade pecan pralines are the product of a former Black Panther who was wrongfully imprisoned for 31 years.
Robert King’s well chronicled story is fascinating, but you candy junkies should know that he makes a mean praline in his little house in East Austin. These are the kind of pralines with a little give to them, made from simple ingredients and without any preservatives. Each $ 3 bag contains about a half dozen pieces weighing a total of 3.5 ounces. Enough to share if you feel like it.
If he offered them coated in chocolate I’d probably be dead by now.
While serving a 35-​year sentence at Angola State Penitentiary, Robert King learned to make pralines from a fellow prisoner called «Cap Pistol.» He built a stove from stacked tin cans, burned toilet tissue for fuel, and used sugar and butter that other inmates would save at mealtime. Pecans were smuggled in by «other means.» You may not want to put too much thought into that one.
In 2001, he was freed after authorities determined he had been innocent of the crime that sent him to prison in 1970. Today he makes the candy, thankfully under more sanitary conditions. He calls them Freelines (pronounced free-​leans) in honor of his freedom, and he’s known for his remarkably positive outlook. His fans include business tycoons, powerful politicians, authors and celebs.
Aside from all the pure praline goodness, we just like the idea that our selfish candy purchases also help support this chap. He also uses the money to fund the defense of two other Black Panthers imprisoned in Angola whom he insists have been subjected to similar injustices.
The back story just seems to make these tasty confections seem sweeter somehow.