Përpeqi — the Traditional Albanian Pie with Milk Cream

Ingredients (10-12 servings):

For the dough:

• 500 g flour
• 300 ml lukewarm water
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp oil (plus oil or butter for brushing the layers)

For the cream:

• 1 liter milk
• 5 eggs
• 200 g sugar
• 80 g cornstarch (or flour)
• 1 packet vanilla

For brushing: 100 g melted butter

To serve: ground cinnamon, powdered sugar (to taste)

Steps:

1. Prepare the dough: in a bowl, mix the flour, salt and lukewarm water; knead until you get a soft, elastic dough. Let it rest for 30 minutes.
2. Divide the dough into 8-10 balls and roll out thin layers, brushing them with a little melted butter in between.
3. Place half of the layers in a buttered baking pan, spreading them one over the other.
4. Prepare the cream: heat the milk; in another bowl beat the eggs with the sugar, vanilla and cornstarch, then add the hot milk little by little while stirring. Return to low heat and stir until it thickens.
5. Pour the cream over the layers in the pan and cover with the remaining layers; brush the surface with melted butter.
6. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 40-45 minutes, until the surface turns golden.
7. Let it cool, sprinkle with cinnamon and powdered sugar, and serve in square pieces.

Prep time: ~30 minutes (+30 minutes dough rest) | Baking time: 40-45 minutes | Servings: 10-12

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).