About
Meet Jay
My full name is Emily Julian, and my older brother calls me by my initials “EJ”. So, I thought it would be fun to simultaneously shorten and lengthen that name to J or “Jay”. Welcome to Jay’s Bakes!
My first baking experience was stirring oats into the family favorite “no-bake” cookies when I was just 4 years old. Baking was something I looked forward to doing with my mom throughout middle school. Getting the rush of making something and then experiencing the end product using all five senses was something I loved.
I started creating my own recipes as well as adapting family favorites as a teenager. I had family members discover new allergies, and I couldn’t imagine our traditional family gatherings without the nostalgia of the cookies I grew up eating. I was disheartened when we didn’t have desserts that everyone at the table could partake in, and I made it my mission to have an inclusive dessert spread at our holiday get-togethers ever since.
Experimenting in the kitchen has always been where I thrived. I offer a fresh baked cookie menu with the option to include butter, dairy, and gluten (regular) or to exclude it all with my allergen friendly options (vegan and gluten free). I love baking cookies that can become part of your family traditions, no matter what your dietary restrictions are, just like they have always been a part of mine!
In October of 2022 I started my homemade vanilla making journey, exceeding FDA standards of .83 oz of vanilla beans to 8 oz of alcohol, and 6 months later my first batch of Madagascar vanilla extract was ready! As of April 2023, I have not purchased a drop of commercially made vanilla extract for Jay’s Bakes.
In October of 2023 I began my first batch of vanilla extract using locally distilled alcohols such as Big Machine (Lynnville), George Dickel (Tullahoma), and Uncle Nearest (Shelbyville). It is my goal for Jay’s Bakes to solely use alcohols originating in Tennessee for all future vanilla batches, whether that be paste or extract.
Every batch of cookies is made with care, by me, with 100% homemade vanilla extract. This labor of love adds a little something extra to each batch of cookies. I can’t wait to for you to taste the difference that homemade vanilla extract makes in my cookies and desserts.
About
Jay’s Bakes operates as a cottage kitchen in the state of Tennessee. A cottage kitchen is a home kitchen used for the production of non-temperature controlled foods (foods that can stay at room temperature without creating a health hazard) that is unlicensed and uninspected by the health department.
Cottage kitchens are governed by the Department of Agriculture rather than the Health Department. Jay’s Bakes is an LLC registered with the State of Tennessee and Rutherford County. Cottage laws like Tennessee’s 2022 Food Freedom Act are designed to keep money within the local communities and empower small business owners that don’t have a storefront to produce and market their goods to the public.
I bake and sell out of my approved Cottage Kitchen. You can pick up your order or have it delivered locally. I also ship within the state of Tennessee.