8-10 servings; 15 min preparation; 8 h waiting.

This is one of the most typical desserts that you could find in Portugal. Bolo de bolacha literally means cookie cake. It does not require any baking. However, it could test your patience, since you have to leave it overnight in the fridge. I’m telling you, this is the most difficult part, because you would want to cut and try it right away. It normally takes me a lot of effort not to touch it until the next day. Just put it on the highest shelf in your fridge, so you cannot see it every time you open the door.

Like every traditional dish, this cake has a lot of versions. Every region in Portugal has its own kind, using different ingredients. I would say that every woman there makes it differently. One thing remains unchanged though – the cookies. I normally make it with mascarpone and a little sugar, but this time I decided to make it a little bit more traditional, using cooked condensed milk. This type is a little sweeter than the one using mascarpone, so whatever you prefer, go for it.

Ingredients

• 400 g cooked condensed milk (leite condensado cozido)*
• 500 g whipping cream
• 200 g Marie biscuit
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup coffee
• 3 sheets gelatin

*you can use 500 g mascarpone with 3 tbsp granulated sugar instead

Preparation

Cover the bottom of a spring form with baking paper. It will help you to remove the cake from the form later on.

Make a cup of strong black coffee and set aside to cool down. Put the sheets gelatin in a bowl with a little water until they get soft. Once this happens, transfer the soft sheets into a sauce pan and add 3 tbsp water. Heat until dissolved. Don’t cook the gelatin! Set aside until it cools down.

Whip the cream in a food processor. Don’t add any sugar, because the condensed milk is quite sweet. When the cream gets thick, add the condensed milk, vanilla extract and cooled gelatin. Mix until smooth.

Crush 5 Marie biscuits in a blender until dust. We will use these cookies to cover the top of the cake. Dip each biscuit in the fresh coffee and cover the bottom of the spring form with a layer of cookies. Cover with a ladle of the cream mixture. Cover with a layer with biscuits dipped in coffee and a ladle of cream. Continue until the mixture is over. The last layer should be with cream. Cover the cream with the crushed cookies. Cover the form with clean foil and leave in the fridge overnight. Enjoy!