Finding Cozy in My Cottage ❄️ Gingerbread Baking & Quiet Studio Nights | Silent Vlog

✨ Subtitles (CC) tell the story.
Come along into my December. It’s a story of a gingerbread tree and late nights in the studio.
This year, there's no space for a traditional tree. So I’m creating a little magic from scratch. This gingerbread tree will be the only decoration for our small, quiet celebration.
It's a gentle reminder that a holiday doesn't have to be perfect to be meaningful. In the race for the brightest garlands, it’s easy to lose sight of what truly matters.
Wishing you quiet wonders this season.

Gingerbread Dough Recipe:

¾ cup (250g) honey
⅔ cup (125g) sugar
¾ cup + 1 tbsp (190g / ~13 tbsp) butter
1 large egg (or 1 egg + 1 yolk)
6 ¼ cups (750g) all-purpose flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
3 tsp ground ginger
3 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground cardamom (optional)

Melt butter, sugar and honey together. Add spices and let cool.
In a separate bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. Add egg and wet mixture, knead. Wrap the dough and let it chill for at least 4 hours, or ideally overnight.
Roll out the dough to about ¼ inch (6mm) thickness. Cut out shapes.
Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 10–12 minutes. Let cool completely on a rack.

Icing Recipe:

1 large egg white
200g (about 1 ⅔ cups) powdered sugar, sifted
½ tsp lemon juice

In a clean, grease-free bowl, lightly whisk the egg white until frothy.
Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, whisking continuously, until the icing is smooth, thick, and holds peaks.
Add the lemon juice and whisk for another 30 seconds until fully incorporated.

0:00 Intro
0:21 The Dough Recipe
2:36 Cutting & Baking
5:08 Icing & Assembling
7:32 Studio Nights
9:21 The Final Scene

*Welcome to my simple, handmade life in the cold climate*
I'm slowly renovating my unfinished cottage, cooking from scratch, and crafting my income with my hands—all captured in peaceful, no-talk vlogs. This is our quiet stand against a cold climate and a volatile economy. Our life isn't picture-perfect, but a conscious effort to create coziness and resilience, no matter what.

Follow along on my journey:
   / @marybogat  

#GingerbreadTree #HandmadeHoliday #slowliving #humble