Local Baker Offers Valentine's Day Sweets

Jenn Tompkins—known to some as Jenn the Biker—began baking cookiebars and pumpkin rolls to take to biker events for her friends.

Over time her friends began to refer to her as Jenn the Baker, encouraging her to sell her treats.

Deanna Pasternak went to college with Tompkins in Pennsylvania and visited her in Maryland, getting her first cookiebar fix.

"The first time I ate a cookiebar, I knew that Jenn either had to start a business or I needed to steal her recipe," Pasternak said, who now lives in Hawaii.

Tompkins and her husband, who live in Brooklyn Park, decided to listen to their friends.

"Since we couldn't invite everyone to our home for cookiebars and pumpkin rolls, we opened our Internet doors in October of 2009 as JTB's Kitchen," Tompkins said.

Cookiebars are a half-pound chewy cookie typically sold in packs of six. Pumpkin rolls are a pumpkin cake rolled with a cream cheese filling sold as two seven-inch logs.

And Valentine's Day can be a busy time for someone who makes sweets.

"I do various promotions through the year with Valentine's Day being one of them," she said. "We know that many different people from spouses to grandchildren to parents and even shut-ins enjoy a treat from JTB's Kitchen especially for Valentine's Day."

This year, JTB's Kitchen is offering three heart-shaped cookiebars in one of four flavors packaged in a heart-shaped basket with a plush bear and a card for $16—offered at a 24-percent discount.

"It's discounted to $16 including free shipping [and the] last day to order for on-time delivery is February 8th," Tompkins said.

JTB's Kitchen sells crispy treats in addition to pumpkin rolls and cookiebars that are offered in 18 flavors.

"We ship to anywhere in the United States and offer a 20 percent discount when shipping to active military at an [Army Post Office] address," she said.

For now, Tompkins is busy getting all of her Valentine's Day orders ready to be shipped to deliver sweets to sweethearts all over the country.

"Cookiebars equal love," she said.

Have you had cookiebars from JTB's Kitchen before? Where else do you get your sweets locally? Tell us in the comments.