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I firmly believe that the new year calls for a delightful dessert. During a month that can be dreary weather, a little sweetness goes a long way. I'm not suggesting decadent, heavy desserts, but something like this light yoghurt panna cotta is absolutely perfect. With a casual look, it could easily pass for a fancy breakfast pot.

Yoghurt Panna Cotta with Tahini-Oat Topping

You'll have extra crumble mixture for this dessert. Keep the leftovers in an sealed jar for a handy crispy treat later on.

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

Begin by putting the gelatine sheets in a little dish of cool water. Allow them to soak for 5 minutes or so, until they are soft. Next, pour off the water and remove the extra water. Set them aside.

Place in a pan, combine the cream with the honey, vanilla paste, and salt. Warm over a low flame until hot taking care not to boil. Take the pan off the stove and add the softened gelatine until it is totally melted. Then, mix in the Greek yoghurt thoroughly. Divide the custard into individual ramekins and place in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, until completely set.

Now for the crumble. Preheat your oven to 190°C (170°C fan)/375°F/gas 5. Line a small baking tray with parchment paper. Combine in a bowl the oats, flour, sugar, sesame seeds, salt, and cinnamon. Mix well to combine. Pour in the melted butter and tahini, then combine well so everything is nicely mixed. Tip the blend onto the lined sheet and bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until golden brown. Once baked, let it cool completely, then crumble it up into irregular pieces.

For the bananas: using a saucepan, gently heat the honey with two tablespoons of water. Stir in the banana slices and heat until they begin to soften and the liquid reduces slightly syrupy. Remove from the heat and let it cool a bit.

To serve, divide the banana mixture over the set panna cottas. Add a generous topping of the tahini crumble and dig in.