Mlechna Banitsa

Ingredients

• 400 g filo pastry sheets
• 700 ml milk
• 5 pieces eggs
• 180 g sugar
• 120 g butter, melted
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 2 tbsp icing sugar, to dust

Steps

1. 1
   Heat the oven to 180C and butter a deep 30x20 cm tin.
2. 2
   Crumple each filo sheet loosely — do not lay it flat — and pack the crumpled sheets upright into the tin, brushing each with melted butter as you go. The air pockets are what let the custard get in.
3. 3
   Bake the pastry alone for 10 minutes until it begins to colour.
4. 4
   Whisk the eggs with the sugar until pale, then whisk in the milk, vanilla and lemon zest.
5. 5
   Pour the custard slowly and evenly over the part-baked pastry and let it stand 10 minutes to soak in.
6. 6
   Return to the oven for 35-40 minutes until set in the middle and deep gold on top.
7. 7
   Cool at least 30 minutes — it firms as it cools — then dust with icing sugar and cut into squares.