Traditionally made with layers of sweetened whipped cream and finely crushed Marie biscuits, Serradura—literally meaning "sawdust" in Portuguese—is a classic, effortless dessert. While the traditional vanilla version remains a timeless favourite, modern twists have introduced exciting new flavours like Oreo, chocolate, and matcha green tea.
Ingredients
3 x 300g double cream
1 (397g) sweetened can condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla essence
½ pkt crushed rich tea or digestive biscuits
1 large carton strawberries – quartered
Cooking Steps
Step 1: Prep the Biscuits
Crush the biscuits into fine crumbs using a food processor or by placing them in a bag and crushing them with a rolling pin. Set aside.
Step 2: Whip the Sweetened Cream
Whip the double cream in a large bowl, until medium-soft peaks form (about 3 to 5 minutes). Pour in the sweetened condensed milk and continue whipping until the mixture holds medium-stiff peaks (another 2 to 4 minutes).
Step 3: Prep the Fruit
Quarter most of the strawberries, leaving a few whole or sliced for a beautiful final garnish.
Step 4: Layer and Chill
In individual serving glasses (or one large glass trifle bowl), build your layers. Begin and end with a layer of the whipped cream, alternating Cream, Biscuit crumbs, Quartered strawberries
Aim for 4 to 7 layers in total. Garnish the top with your reserved strawberries, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours—or overnight—to let the biscuit layers soften and the flavours beautifully meld together.
Serve: This dessert can easily be transformed into a frozen ice-cream cake: simply omit any fruit layers and pop it into the freezer for about an hour before serving.
Alternate garnishes include a sprinkle of cinnamon powder, toasted almonds, coconut and/or passion fruit just before serving.