Although Wilson did not have a culinary background, she started Cookies for A Koz- a play on her maiden name- five years ago re-creating her mom’s original chocolate chip cookie recipe which happened to be pretty incredible. This year she changed the name of her company to Audrey’s Cookies, serving as a legacy in honor of her mother- a pharmacist by trade- who loved baking homemade cookies as a way of self-expression. The cookies are now available in seven flavors which include Red Velvet, Chocolate Chip Shortbread- my favorite- White Chocolate Cranberry, Pecan Shortbread, Raspberry Shortbread, Lemon Shortbread, and Peanut Butter Jelly.

What began as an online gift business, Audrey’s Cookies eventually branched out into the wholesale side and as of October, these tasty treats can now be found at Whole Foods locations in Santa Monica, as well as stores throughout the Pacific-Southwest region. What makes Wilson’s story unique is that she gives back, as her mother’s favorite charity was Starlight Children’s Foundation, so ten per cent of all retail purchases are donated to the foundation. In October, The Starlight Foundation presented the entire Koz family- siblings Dave Koz, the jazz musician, Roberta, and Jeff Koz, a music producer, and their late mother Audrey – the Founder Award because of their support for the foundation for more than 20 years through volunteering, donations, and other services. It seems that cookies aren’t so bad for you after all.