Recipes

Portuguese Serradura (Sawdust Pudding)

Classic Serradura alternates finely crushed Maria biscuits with a chilled cream-and-condensed-milk mixture. It needs neither oven nor gelatine: refrigeration gives it body while preserving the layers that explain its “sawdust” name.

Yields
6 individual glasses
Prep
20 min (+ 4 hrs chilling)
Cook
No cooking
Difficulty
Read about Portuguese Sawdust Pudding →
Portuguese Serradura (Sawdust Pudding), ready to serve

Ingredients

  • 200 g Maria biscuits
  • 400 ml Whipping cream, at least 35% fat, very cold
  • 1 tin (about 397 g) Sweetened condensed milk

Method

  1. Crush the Maria biscuits to a very fine, even crumb resembling sawdust. Reserve two tablespoons for the topping.

  2. Whip the very cold cream in a chilled bowl until it holds firm peaks. Stop before it begins to turn grainy.

  3. Pour in the condensed milk in a thin stream and fold gently with a spatula, retaining as much air as possible.

  4. Put a thin biscuit layer in the base of each glass, cover with a thicker cream layer and repeat two or three times.

  5. Finish with cream and cover the whole surface with the reserved crumbs. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.