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It's my conviction that January still deserves a sweet treat. At a time that can be grey skies, a little sweetness is essential. This isn't about decadent, heavy desserts, but a dessert such as this light yoghurt panna cotta hits the spot. At first sight, it might be mistaken for a decadent yoghurt bowl.

Yoghurt Panna Cotta with Tahini-Oat Topping

This recipe yields more crumble than needed for this dessert. Keep the leftovers in an airtight container to enjoy as a crunchy snack 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 cold water. Leave them to soften for 5 minutes or so, until they are soft. Next, pour off the water and remove the extra water. Set them aside.

Using a small pot, mix the whipping cream with the honey, vanilla paste, and salt. Cook on a low heat until hot but not boiling. Turn off the heat and add the prepared gelatine until it is totally melted. Then, mix in the Greek yoghurt thoroughly. Pour the mixture into serving pots and place in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, until firmly 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. Using a large bowl the oats, flour, sugar, sesame seeds, salt, and cinnamon. Toss to blend. Incorporate the melted butter and tahini, then mix thoroughly so everything is nicely mixed. Tip the blend onto the prepared tray and cook for 18 to 22 minutes, until crisp and coloured. Once baked, let it cool completely, then break into pieces into rustic chunks.

For the bananas: in a small pan, gently heat the honey with two tablespoons of water. Stir in the banana slices and simmer until they begin to soften and the mixture becomes a bit sticky. Remove from the heat and let it cool a bit.

Finally, spoon the warm bananas onto the chilled desserts. Finish with the tahini crumble and dig in.