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It's my conviction that January calls for a delightful dessert. At a time often characterised by grey skies, a small indulgence goes a long way. This isn't about decadent, heavy desserts, but something like this light yoghurt panna cotta is absolutely perfect. With a casual look, it might be mistaken for a decadent yoghurt bowl.

Creamy Yoghurt Custard with Banana and Tahini Crumble

Prepare extra crumble mixture for this dessert. Save the excess in an sealed jar as a ready-made 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 little dish of cool water. Allow them to soak for 5 minutes or so, until softened. Next, pour off the water and remove remaining moisture. Set them aside.

Place in a pan, mix the whipping cream with the honey, vanilla paste, and salt. Cook on a low heat until hot taking care not to boil. Turn off the heat and whisk in the softened gelatine until it is completely dissolved. Vigorously whisk in the Greek yoghurt thoroughly. Divide the custard into serving pots and chill in the fridge for several hours, until firmly set.

Meanwhile, prepare the crumble. Preheat your oven to 190°C (170°C fan)/375°F/gas 5. Prepare a tray with parchment paper. Combine in a bowl the oats, flour, sugar, sesame seeds, salt, and cinnamon. Stir together thoroughly. Pour in the melted butter and tahini, then combine well so everything is nicely mixed. Tip the blend onto the baking tray and place in the oven for 18 to 22 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven, allow to cool fully, then break it up into irregular pieces.

For the bananas: in a small pan, gently heat the honey with two tablespoons of water. Add the sliced bananas and cook until they are tender and the mixture becomes slightly syrupy. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

To serve, divide the banana mixture on top of the custards. Sprinkle over the tahini crumble and dig in.