GLENDALE, AZ — A small online bakery in Glendale is about to have a big moment connected to Hollywood’s biggest night.
Taira Bagley, the founder of Haize & Honey, has been selected to include her handcrafted chocolate chunk cookies in the “Everyone Wins” Oscar nominee gift bags.
It’s one of the most talked-about traditions surrounding the Academy Awards.
The curated gift bags, organized by the marketing company Distinctive Assets, are delivered to select Oscar nominees each year, loaded with luxury products, experiences and emerging brands.
This year, Bagley’s cookies are the “something sweet” inside.
“It was huge,” Bagley said. “I was so happy. But the biggest thing I felt was… it’s time to get to work.”
Haize & Honey is not a traditional storefront bakery.
The Glendale-based company operates online, with cookies baked in small batches and made completely from scratch.
Bagley says baking has been part of her life since childhood.
As a young girl, she imagined what her future bakery might look like. She even drew pictures of the treats she hoped to make one day.
That dream eventually became reality, but the path there wasn’t easy.
Bagley says she spent years struggling with an eating disorder and eventually checked herself into a recovery center.
During that time, she stepped away from baking completely.
“These cookies really are proof of my recovery,” Bagley said. “They’re the embodiment of being healthy.”
Today, baking has become part of her healing and purpose.
Each box of cookies sent to Oscar nominees includes a personal message written by Bagley.
“Through the power of creation, I’m offering love, joy and healing,” the note reads. “I hope you enjoy my art.”
Bagley says the recipe for her chocolate chunk cookies took months of testing and refining.
Each batch includes brown butter, honey, two types of chocolate and house-made toffee, all crafted from scratch.
“It takes time,” she said. “Twenty-four hours. But it matters.”
This year, Bagley baked 236 cookies for the Oscar gift bags, sending a taste of Arizona to some of Hollywood’s biggest stars.
For Bagley, the moment represents more than a business milestone.
“You can do hard things,” she said. “If you’re afraid of something, do it afraid.”
From a dream that once felt impossible, her cookies and her message of encouragement are now headed to Hollywood.
