June 17th is Apple Strudel Day.

According to some people, every day should be ‘apfelstrudel’ day, to give it its proper Austrian name. A dish that dates back to 1696, Apple strudel consists of a center of the apple, cinnamon, and raisins, wrapped in crispy layers of pastry, that puff up in the oven; served with a dusting of icing sugar and a dollop of thick cream, comfort food at its finest.

The German meaning of strudel is vortex or eddy, which aptly describes the way the pastry layers circle the filling. When creating the dish these layers need to be worked until they are thin enough to read through. It is easy to create at home, using layers of buttered filo pastry, wrapped around your own stewed apple.

Why not celebrate Apple Strudel Day by donning lederhosen, practicing some yodeling, and settling down to a warming plateful with a mug of hot chocolate on the side?