Walnut burek

This burek is usually baked at Christmas dinner and is the kind of food that lingers in your mind for the rest of your life after you eat it, but you can never get the courage to make it yourself because you think that its magic will go away after you do. I had this burek when I was in boarding school and my friend’s mother used to bring it every time she came to visit from Tropoja. I also remember eating this burek in Pukë, a city in northern Albania that is known for its walnuts, when a different friend’s parents invited us over for the weekend. (Aferdita)

Ingredients:

• 3–5 cups of walnuts, coarsely chopped

• 1 cup melted butter

• 3 eggs

• 3 cups milk

• 1 t salt

Directions:

In a large bowl, thoroughly mix the walnuts and the butter. If you’re using more walnuts, you can add a little more butter.

In another bowl, mix the eggs, salt, and milk together.

Separate the phyllo dough into three groups, and spread the walnut filling between these layers.

Cut the burek into the desired shape and pour the milk mixture on top. You can add the milk without cutting the burek first, but we’ve found that cutting it before pouring the milk creates a more even burek.

Bake it for 40 minutes in a 375°F oven and serve warm.