Walnut Cake with Lemon Glaze

Cake:
1/2 cup (125 ml) butter, softened
3/4 cup (175 ml) sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup (80 ml) plain yogurt
1/3 cup (80 ml) buttermilk
2 cups (475 ml) unbleached white flour
1 tsp (5 ml). baking powder
1 tsp (5 ml). baking soda
1/2 tsp (2 ml). cinnamon
1 tbsp (15 ml) lemon rind, grated
1 cup (225 ml) walnuts, toasted and finely chopped
Glaze:
3/4 cup (175 ml) water
1 cup (225 ml) sugar
1/2 tsp (2 ml). ground cinnamon
1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp (1 ml). ground allspice
dash of ground cloves

Instructions:Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (175 C.).
Cake:
Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy and then mix in the eggs.
Blend the yogurt with the buttermilk.
Sift together the dry ingredients and add them alternately with the yogurt mixture into the egg mixture.
Stir in the lemon rind and walnuts.
Pour the batter into a buttered 9 inch x 13 inch baking pan and bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean.
The cake should still be moist.
Glaze:
Simmer together all the ingredients, covered, for about 15 minutes.
When the cake is done, remove it from the oven, turn the oven off, pour the glaze over the hot cake.
Return the cake with glaze to the oven for about 10 minutes.

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Apple Walnut Cookies

1 tart apple
1/2 cup (125 ml) butter, softened
1/2 cup (125 ml) vegetable shortening
1 tsp (5 ml) baking soda
1/2 cup (125 ml) brown sugar, firmly packed
2 tbsp (30 ml) honey
2 large eggs (I use Jumbo eggs)
2 tsp (10 ml) vanilla extract
2 tsp (10 ml) to 5 tsp (25 ml) ground cinnamon, to taste
1/2 cup (125 ml) walnuts, chopped
2-1/2 cups (600 ml) all-purpose flour

Instructions:Preheat oven to 375 degrees (200 C.).
Dice apple into small cubes and place on a baking tray.
Bake the fruit cubes for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until just soft.
Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, shortening, baking soda, brown sugar, honey, eggs, vanilla extract and cinnamon.
Add the flour, apple bits and walnuts to the cookie dough and thoroughly combine.
Drop cookies onto ungreased baking sheets by the heaping tspful.
Bake for 9 to 12 minutes.
Do not over bake, as they are best when a bit soft.
Let cool on the tray before storing.

Comments:
As a different tone to the cookies, try omitting the cinammon and using apple pie spice!

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