By Keighley’s Mike Armstrong, an award-winning master baker with a big passion for baking...

WANT to make a delicious apple strudel for tea tonight?

Try this amazing recipe, which definitely is worth the effort!

Did you know apple strudel is known as apfel strudel in German?

This timeless dessert is created from freshly-made strudel dough and packed with spiced apples and raisin filling.

It's also a very popular Austrian dessert and is eaten in many regions of Europe too. It is best enjoyed cut into slices, topped with icing sugar and smothered with custard.

The name apple strudel comes from the German word strudel, which means 'whirlpool'. This makes sense given the internal layers that spiral around.

Apple strudel is technically a Viennese pastry but is considered one of the national dishes of Austria, although the Germans and Austrians still clash palette knives over the apple strudel to this day.

It's been around for centuries, but rose to popularity during the time of the Habsburg dynasty.

Strudel was big in the Austro-Hungarian empire, and you can find versions of apple strudel in Italy, Poland, the Czech Republic and Romania.

There are lots of different variations of strudel fillings – both sweet and savoury. Apple is really popular and is a dessert cousin to Turkish/Greek Baklava, but the big difference is that Baklava is often made with phyllo dough.

So after all the history, the big question is, do we 'cheat' or not? You can find lots of apple strudel recipes using ready-made filo pastry, and it can be found on school dinner, cafe and pub menus around town this time of year.

Flex your muscles, turn on the radio and get a rhythm going – let's make one for tea this weekend.

Apple strudel is a pudding which deserves respect.

Yorkshire is the home of puddings, where us Tykes are just thankful to be offered a pudding at all!

So think on, frame yourself next time it's parky outside, remember fine rain doesn't get you wet, and get some apples bought!

RECIPE

APPLE STRUDEL

Ingredients:

Strudel:

225g/8oz plain flour

Pinch of salt

1 egg

1 tablespoon oil

6 tablespoons warm water

Filling:

450g/1lb apples, peeled, cored and thinly cut

50g/2oz walnuts, chopped

50g/2oz raisins or sultanas

2 teaspoons mixed spice

50g/2oz brown sugar

2 tablespoons brandy, optional

2 tablespoons white breadcrumbs

25g/1oz butter for frying

40g/1.5oz melted butter to glaze

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan/Gas Mark 7, line a large baking tray with baking paper, sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl, and add the egg with the oil and water to make a rough dough.

2. Work the dough well on a floured work surface till it becomes smooth and elastic; return to the bowl and cover with a tea towel and rest for 30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, mix the sliced apples with the walnuts, sultanas, mixed spice, sugar and brandy in a bowl, and fry the breadcrumbs in butter until golden brown.

4. Place a tea towel onto the work surface, dust it with flour, then roll and stretch the dough as thin as possible into a large rectangle shape.

5. Brush the melted butter over the dough, sprinkle over the breadcrumbs, spread over the apple mixture evenly, then use the cloth to tightly roll into a sausage shape.

6. Bend the dough into a horseshoe shape and place onto the baking tray, brush the top with any remaining butter and bake for around 35 minutes or until crisp and golden. Dust with icing sugar and serve hot, cut into slices, with custard.