Grandmother’s Pudding (Pudim da Avó) Recipe

This Pudim da Avó recipe has always had a special place in my heart. “Avó” means grandmother in Portuguese, and that’s exactly who this dessert makes me think of — my Avó Filomena, who had the most wonderful way of turning simple ingredients into something truly memorable. This is the kind of dessert that shows up at every family gathering, and once you taste it, you’ll understand why.

What Is Pudim da Avó?

Pudim da Avó — literally “Grandmother’s Pudding” — is a classic Portuguese no-bake dessert that has been passed down through generations in Azorean and mainland Portuguese households. It’s a layered dessert built from crushed Maria biscuits, a silky sweet egg cream, and freshly whipped cream. Think of it as Portugal’s answer to a trifle — humble ingredients, elegant result. It’s served chilled, which makes it a perfect make-ahead dessert for holidays, festas, or any time you want to bring a little piece of Portugal to your table.

How to Make This Recipe

The process has three parts that come together quickly. First, you make the egg cream — egg yolks, sugar, and milk stirred together over a double boiler until smooth and frothy. A hand mixer with a whisk attachment makes this much easier on your wrists. While that cools, you whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks. Then it’s just a matter of layering: biscuit crumbs, egg cream, more crumbs, whipped cream, and a final dusting on top. The hardest part is waiting the 3 hours for it to set — overnight is even better.

Tips for the Best Pudim da Avó Recipe

• Use real Maria biscuits. The flavor is distinct — a plain digestive or graham cracker won’t give you the same result. See below for where to find them.
• Don’t rush the egg cream. Keep the water at a slow simmer and stir constantly. If the heat is too high, you’ll end up with scrambled eggs instead of a smooth cream.
• Let it cool completely before layering. Adding warm egg cream to the whipped cream will deflate it.
• Crush the biscuits to different textures. Some fine, some slightly coarser — it gives the dessert more character, just like my grandmother used to do.
• Chill overnight if you can. The layers meld together and the biscuits soften to the perfect consistency.
• Use a clear dish. Half the beauty of this dessert is seeing those layers — a glass trifle bowl or individual glasses show it off perfectly.

Where to Find Maria Biscuits Maria biscuits are the heart of this recipe and can be hard to find at a regular grocery store. I always keep a few packages on hand — you can order them at Portugalia and have them delivered right to your door.

Serving and Storing

Pudim da Avó is best served cold, straight from the refrigerator. Spoon it into individual dishes or slice from a larger serving bowl. Leftovers keep well covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days — though in my house, it never lasts that long.

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• Author: Maria Lawton
• Category: Desserts

Ingredients

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4 egg yolks

3/4 cups of granulated sugar

1/4 cup of milk

1 7oz package of Maria Biscuits

1 16 oz container of Heavy Whipping Cream

2 tablespoons of sugar

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Instructions

Using a food processor or a rolling pin, finely crush the Maria Biscuits and leave aside. *Sometimes I just use my hands to crush if I want some different textures.

 

In a double boiler fill the bottom with about 2-3 inches of water, place it over medium-high heat, and bring it to a simmer. On the top of the double boiler stir the egg yolks and sugar. Keeping the water in the bottom at a slow simmer, continue to stir until the egg mix until it is smooth. Then using a whisk and stirring a little faster pour in the milk and beat until it’s a frothy creamy consistency. This can take a while and I have used a hand held mixer with a whisk attachment to make it a lot easier on my wrists.

Once it’s done, remove from heat and let it cool off while you whip up the heavy cream.

In a medium bowl pour out the heavy whipping cream and add 2 tablespoons of sugar and whip until you form stiff peaks. Once you accomplish that; leave aside.

Now to assemble the dessert: Using the serving dish of your choice, layer the cookie crumbs first, then a layer of the sweet egg cream, then another layer of the crumbs, then a layer a the whipped cream and last you can add just a dusting of the cookie crumbs or a spoonful of the sweet egg cream.

Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, but overnight is the best.

 

Love Portuguese desserts? Try my Arroz Doce – Portuguese Sweet Rice Pudding or Malassada Bread Pudding next.