Bay tree cuttings problems

[hamamelis]

Laurus nobilis (bay) is a species, not a variety, if it's pollinated by another bay, it's not going to produce anything funny just because its related to poisonous species, any more than tomatoes are likely to suddenly start producing poisonous tomatoes because they're related to deadly nightshade. It's really not known for hybridising.

Bay can be propagated from seed, but they're notoriously slow. It's faster from cuttings, I'd wait and see if yours do anything, though it's always a good idea not to disturb cuttings until they've grown roots. They might do something this spring, I wouldn't expect any roots to form over winter.