Oprah Names North Carolina Pecan Crisp Cookies One of Her ‘Favorite Things’

Chapel Hill chef Tonya Council’s creations could be on everyone’s wish list this holiday season, as her signature pecan crisp cookies recently showed up on superstar Oprah Winfrey’s list of “Favorite Things Holiday Gift Guide” in the December 2021 issue of O magazine.

As Oprah says on OprahDaily.com, “You won’t even know that these are gluten-free! Baker Tonya Council wanted GF cookies that tasted like her grandmother’s pie. The result: a sweet treat that’s rich while somehow staying very light.”

Tonya is the granddaughter of Southern food icon Mildred Council, better known as Mama Dip of famous Chapel Hill restaurant Mama Dip’s. Tonya says, “I originally made my pecan crisp cookies as a tribute to my grandmother and her delicious pecan pie. It’s incredible to see them reaching such a wide audience, and I hope that my story inspires others to follow their own dreams.”

Tonya is the owner of retail stores Tonya’s Cookies and Sweet Tea & Cornbread, as well as the Sweet Tea & Cornbread Cafe in the North Carolina Museum of History.

The pecan crisp cookies are available online at Tonya’s store and at Oprah’s Favorite Things Amazon shop.

• Tonya Council [Official]
• OprahDaily.com [Official]
• Mama Dip’s Founder Mildred Council Dies at 89