A Calabasas resident Roberta Koz Wilson quit her day job to continue her mom's cookie legacy and goodwill.
By Mira Reverente on calabasas.patch.com
Cookies were a given in the Koz household. Pharmacist-turned-baker Audrey Koz baked chocolate chip cookies day in and day out and gave them away to family and friends.
“It was her way of spreading her love,” said Audrey’s daughter, local resident Roberta Koz Wilson.
Dave Koz would tote his mom’s chocolate chip cookies at every meeting and performance at the beginning of his legendary music career.
After Audrey passed away in 2005, Wilson quit her corporate job and launched Cookies for a Koz. “It was the best way to carry on her legacy,” said the former MTV network executive.
“Reverse engineering” was Wilson’s approach to her mom’s famous chocolate chip cookie recipe. “I put the recipe together based on what I saw and remember,” she said.
Armed with her mother’s pair of magic pans, Wilson started baking and hasn’t stopped since. She said, “I feel as long as she’s watching over my shoulders telling me what to do next, I’ll be fine.”
After perfecting the chocolate chip cookie recipe, Wilson decided to expand her cookie line by introducing four other flavors: oatmeal raisin, snickerdoodle, white chocolate raspberry and red velvet.
Currently, the cookies are available at all 375 Home Goods stores across the U.S. Wilson is currently in talks with a few mass retailers for much-coveted shelf space.
Some of the proceeds go toward benefiting Starlight Foundation, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit group.
“They have various programs both in and out of the hospitals, for sick children and their families as the children go through life-threatening illnesses,” said Wilson, describing her mom’s favorite charity. "My mother was an angel on earth. She would have been proud that we continue to do goodwill and look out for others.”
Wilson also ships her cookies to all 50 states. To maintain freshness, the cookies are individually wrapped and shipped within two days.
“My favorite is still the chocolate chip cookies,” said Ken Levinson of Lake Worth, Florida.
The cookies have also made their way to celebrity gift bags and some TV shows including The Bonnie Hunt Show and The Rachael Ray Show.
