Published: April 4, 2017 Last Modified: May 19, 2019 Freda Dias

Serradura (Portuguese Sawdust Pudding) | Goan Dessert

Serradura | Portuguese Sawdust Pudding is a quick and easy, no-bake, layered dessert. Here’s an easy recipe to make this delightful dessert!

Who doesn’t like quick fix recipes, I know I do !!!, and quick fix dessert recipes are the best kind. Today I’d like to share yet another simple dessert that is quick to put together, although you still need to wait to enjoy it as it requires some time to set. So this makes for a great make-ahead dessert! This no-cook yet fancy dessert is known as Serradura, a Portuguese sawdust pudding, almost like a Portuguese cookie and cream dessert.

Serradura actually translates to sawdust in Portuguese. In this dessert, the powdered biscuits ( Mostly Marie/Maria biscuits) are used, which gives it the “sawdust” texture. And no, the biscuit here is not the bread as it’s commonly known in the US, that I’m referring to. In Europe and India, a biscuit is simply a cookie.

Here is a little info from Wiki, about this interesting dessert- “Serradura is a dessert originated in Portugal which became famous in Macau. It is a very common dessert that can be easily found in different restaurants and bakeries in Macau. And that is why Serradura is chosen as one of the must-try food of Macau. It was introduced to Macau during the time when Macau was under the colonial rule of Portugal. It can also be found in Hong Kong and various Portuguese and Spanish-speaking countries.”

Since Goa was a former Portuguese colony, this dessert is quite popular in Goa too. I really have no clue whether it was introduced into Goa by the Portuguese themselves or via Macau. But I know one thing for sure, that this decadent pudding not only looks exotic but is super simple to put together.

Table of Contents

SERRADURA INGREDIENTS

Serradura is an eggless dessert, that uses just 4 basic ingredients which are

Marie/Maria biscuits, you may use any other biscuits if you can’t find Maria cookies.
Heavy cream
Condensed milk
And some vanilla extract. That’s it!

HOW TO MAKE SERRADURA DESSERT?

To make serradura pudding there are 3 steps-

Grinding the Marie biscuits to a fine powder
Preparing the sweetened cream layer
Assembling the layers

You may also make Serradura cake, by assembling the layers in a round or square baking tin. After layering, cover the tin with cling wrap and freeze or refrigerate it until firm and set, similar to how you would make an ice-box cake. Cover the base and sides of the cake pan with cling wrap before you begin layering, so you can simply pull the set cake out of the tin. Or eliminate the use of cling wrap and use a springform pan instead.

Want to add flavors? Go ahead and flavor up the whipped cream with whatever you fancy, don’t like Marie biscuits, then use Oreo to make Oreo Serradura or any other of your choice. So many variations and endless possibilities! But for now, I’m sharing with you, just what I intended to share – the traditional way 🙂 Enjoy!

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE SERRADURA

1.Transfer the Marie biscuits into a food processor/blender and make a fine powder that almost looks like sawdust.

2.In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment/ or use a hand blender, add in the chilled heavy cream, beat on medium-high speed until it forms soft peaks.

3.Now add in the condensed milk along with the vanilla extract and beat until it forms stiff peak. Do not overbeat or else you will end up with butter.

4.Assembling the pudding- Spoon the whipped cream mixture in a serving glass (You may use a piping bag like I did, for a neater finish), then top with the crushed Marie biscuit powder, continue layering with the cream and Marie biscuit powder, ending with the cream layer. Sprinkle some of the crushed Marie biscuit powder on top, and refrigerate it for about 4-6 hours so that it sets well. Garnish with cherries or chocolate shavings and serve chilled.

HOW TO MAKE SERRADURA | PORTUGUESE SAWDUST PUDDING?