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I firmly believe that January still deserves a delightful dessert. At a time that can be grey skies, a spark of joy is essential. I'm not suggesting decadent, heavy desserts, but the likes of this light yoghurt panna cotta fits the bill perfectly. With a casual look, it resembles a fancy breakfast pot.

Yoghurt Panna Cotta with Banana and Tahini Crumble

This recipe yields extra crumble mixture for four servings. Save the excess in an sealed jar for a handy crunchy snack another time.

Prep: 5 minutes
Chill: 2 hours minimum
Cook: 50 minutes
Serves: 4

For the Panna Cotta

• 2 sheets of gelatine
• 300g of whipping cream
• 60g of honey
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste
• A pinch of salt
• 300g of Greek yoghurt

For the Tahini Crumble

• 80g of jumbo oats
• 50g of plain flour
• 40g of light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds
• A pinch of flaky sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 50g of melted unsalted butter
• 30g of tahini
• 2½ tablespoons of honey
• 2 small bananas, sliced

Method

Soak the gelatine sheets in a small bowl of cool water. Allow them to soak for 5 minutes or so, until they are soft. Then, drain them and gently squeeze out the extra water. Put them to one side.

Place in a pan, mix the whipping cream with the honey, vanilla paste, and salt. Cook on a low heat until hot without letting it boil. Turn off the heat and whisk in the prepared gelatine until it is totally melted. Incorporate the Greek yoghurt until well combined. Divide the custard into four small glasses and chill in the fridge for several hours, until solid.

Now for the crumble. Set your oven to 190°C (170°C fan)/375°F/gas 5. Prepare a tray with baking paper. In a mixing bowl the oats, flour, sugar, sesame seeds, salt, and cinnamon. Stir together thoroughly. Pour in the melted butter and tahini, then mix thoroughly so everything is evenly coated. Spread the mixture onto the baking tray and place in the oven for 18 to 22 minutes, until nicely browned. Take it out, cool entirely, then crumble it up into irregular pieces.

Next, cook the bananas: using a saucepan, gently heat the honey with two tablespoons of water. Add the sliced bananas and heat until they soften slightly and the liquid reduces a bit sticky. Turn off the heat and set aside to cool.

For assembly, spoon the warm bananas on top of the custards. Sprinkle over the tahini crumble and enjoy straight away.