Banitsa

Banitsa, also transliterated banica or banitza, is a traditional pie made in Bulgaria, also prepared in Budjak, where it is known as milina by Ukrainian Bulgarians, in North Macedonia, and in southeastern Serbia, where it may also be called gibanica. It is made by layering a mixture of whisked eggs, plain yogurt, and pieces of white brined cheese between filo pastry and baking it in an oven. Traditionally in Bulgaria lucky charms such as coins or a small piece of dogwood branch are put into the pie on occasions such as New Year's Eve, and it is served for breakfast with plain yogurt, ayran, or boza, hot or cold, in varieties that include a spinach version called spanachnik, a sweet milk version called mlechna banitsa, and a pumpkin version called tikvenik.