As a consolation for the difficult time of the pandemic, Iliyana Nikolova, representing the Bulgarian organisation Workshop for Civic Initiatives Foundation, proposes banitsa – a dessert that will transport you for a moment to a carefree holiday. It can be made either with cheese or milk. Below is the milky version, albeit with soy milk.

Ingredients:

• one sheet filo pastry
• 5 eggs
• 500 ml soy milk
• 300 g sugar
• 100 g butter
• a pinch of vanilla or vanilla sugar (or in the absence of these – a drop of vanilla extract)

Preparation:

1. Heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Tear the filo pastry into small pieces. Melt 1/4 of the butter in a frying pan (preferably one you can put in the oven later). Fry some of the filo pastry on it. Then keep adding butter and pastry until all the butter has melted and the pastry is slightly moist.
2. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 10 minutes until the pastry is soft and browned.
3. Mix the sugar with the eggs, add milk and vanilla.
4. Take the pastry out of the oven, stir it in the pan so it rises a little and pour the egg mixture over it. Place the whole thing in the oven for 20 minutes. Bake until the dessert is firm and browned. Set aside to cool. Sprinkle with icing sugar before serving.