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It's my conviction that January calls for a tasty finale. In a period typically filled with grey skies, a small indulgence goes a long way. Granted, I'm not after decadent, heavy desserts, but a dessert such as this light yoghurt panna cotta hits the spot. If you glance quickly, it might be mistaken for a decadent yoghurt bowl.

Creamy Yoghurt Custard with Banana and Tahini Crumble

Prepare more crumble than needed for the panna cotta. Save the excess in an tightly-closed tub as a ready-made crispy treat 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 chilled water. Leave them to soften for roughly 5 mins, until softened. Next, pour off the water and gently squeeze out any excess liquid. Set them aside.

In a small saucepan, mix the whipping cream with the honey, vanilla paste, and salt. Warm over a low flame until warmed through taking care not to boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the prepared gelatine until it is totally melted. Vigorously whisk in the Greek yoghurt until smooth. Pour the mixture into four small glasses and chill in the fridge for at least two hours, until firmly set.

While that chills, make 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. Pour in the melted butter and tahini, then mix thoroughly so everything is nicely mixed. Spread the mixture onto the baking tray and bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until golden brown. Take it out, cool entirely, then crumble it up into irregular pieces.

For the bananas: in a small pan, combine the honey with two tablespoons of water. Stir in the banana slices and cook until they begin to soften and the syrup thickens slightly syrupy. Remove from the heat and let it cool a bit.

To serve, top each panna cotta onto the chilled desserts. Sprinkle over the tahini crumble and serve immediately.