Bright Bites: Auburn woman starts cookie business from home

The two would inspire Bright Days Cookie Company, a business Demrest started from their Auburn home in January.

Demrest working in customer service at a veterinary clinic in Auburn area, operating Brighter Days a . do with Home Processor License. Before that, she worked in a few restaurants. But her love of baking reaches even further. She learned it from her mom and grandmother, and the business idea took shape while she was making Christmas cookies with her family last year.

“I didn’t do much during COVID-19, and I really wanted to bring some joy back to people,” she told The Citizen. “This is what inspired the name ‘bright din’.”

Demerest’s cookie flavors range from Cinnamon Roll and Mint Chip to Peanut Butter Cups and Cookies ‘n’ Cream, and the most popular is Butter Vanilla. Their specialty is sugar cookies made with royal icing. It takes the form of a hard, flat and smooth surface, Demarest explained, so it can be layered. It gives her a sweet canvas where she can do pipe writing, floral patterns and more.

“You can make a lot with it, but the royal pieces are not forgiving,” she said. “I have some orders that are challenging, very complicated, but they make me a better baker.”

Demarest said she gets about three or four orders a week, some for several dozen cookies. Her summer was busy with weddings and engagements, and as the holidays approached, she became even more busy. But she is happy, and hopes that the cookies she makes spread that joy the way she started the Brighter Days Cookie Company out of her home.

“My main mission is to bring people together and put more smiles on people’s faces, bring people together with a feast,” she said. “Something to give as a gift, or if you have a sweet tooth, just for you.”