Portuguese "sawdust" biscuit and cream pudding (Serradura)

1. Grind the biscuits in a food processor to very fine, sandy crumbs – this is the "sawdust" (serradura).

2. Split the vanilla pod lengthways and scrape out the seeds.

3. Whip the well-chilled cream with the vanilla seeds to stiff peaks.

4. Gently fold in the condensed milk with a spatula until you have a smooth, even cream.

5. Layer into 8 glasses: a layer of biscuit crumbs, a layer of cream and so on, finishing with crumbs on top.

6. Chill for at least 3 hours (or freeze for 1 hour for an ice-cream-like texture) and serve cold.

Tip: Serradura came to Portugal from Macau and is still the simplest dessert to make for guests – make the crumbs truly powder-fine and the layers even for pretty glasses.