🔗 Share this article

My stance is that January calls for a delightful dessert. At a time typically filled with dreary weather, a spark of joy is essential. I'm not suggesting dense confections, but a dessert such as this light yoghurt panna cotta hits the spot. If you glance quickly, it could easily pass for a fancy breakfast pot.

Yoghurt Panna Cotta with Banana and Tahini Crumble

You'll have a generous amount of topping for four servings. Save the excess in an airtight container 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

First, place the gelatine sheets in a ramekin of cold water. Leave them to soften for about five minutes, until softened. Next, pour off the water and gently squeeze out the extra water. Reserve for later.

Place in a pan, add the cream with the honey, vanilla paste, and salt. Cook on a low heat until warmed through but not boiling. Turn off the heat and add the softened gelatine until it is totally melted. Then, mix in the Greek yoghurt until smooth. Pour the mixture into four small glasses and refrigerate for several hours, until solid.

Meanwhile, prepare the crumble. Set your oven to 190°C (170°C fan)/375°F/gas 5. Line a small baking tray with greaseproof paper. In a mixing bowl the oats, flour, sugar, sesame seeds, salt, and cinnamon. Stir together thoroughly. Add the melted butter and tahini, then stir until coated so everything is nicely mixed. Spread the mixture onto the prepared tray and bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until nicely browned. Take it out, cool entirely, then crumble it up into rustic chunks.

Next, cook the bananas: in a small pan, combine the honey with two tablespoons of water. Put in the bananas and cook until they are tender and the mixture becomes like a glaze. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

For assembly, top each panna cotta onto the chilled desserts. Finish with the tahini crumble and serve immediately.