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It's my conviction that the new year calls for a delightful dessert. At a time often characterised by gloomy days, a spark of joy goes a long way. I'm not suggesting anything overly rich, but a dessert such as this light yoghurt panna cotta fits the bill perfectly. If you glance quickly, it resembles a fancy breakfast pot.

Yoghurt Panna Cotta with Banana and Tahini Crumble

You'll have extra crumble mixture for this dessert. Save the excess in an tightly-closed tub as a ready-made textured garnish 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 small bowl of chilled water. Allow them to soak for roughly 5 mins, until pliable. Afterwards, discard the water and press out any excess liquid. Set them aside.

Place in a pan, combine the cream with the honey, vanilla paste, and salt. Cook on a low heat until hot without letting it boil. Remove from the heat and whisk in the squeezed gelatine until it is fully incorporated. Vigorously whisk in the Greek yoghurt thoroughly. Divide the custard into four small glasses and place in the refrigerator for at least two hours, until solid.

Now for the crumble. Heat the 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. Mix well to combine. Add the melted butter and tahini, then mix thoroughly so everything is well covered. Spread the mixture onto the baking tray and place in the oven for 18 to 22 minutes, until nicely browned. Remove from the oven, cool entirely, then crumble it up into rustic chunks.

Next, cook the bananas: place in a pot, gently heat the honey with two tablespoons of water. Add the sliced bananas and cook until they are tender and the syrup thickens a bit sticky. Take off the stove and let it cool a bit.

To serve, top each panna cotta on top of the custards. Add a generous topping of the tahini crumble and enjoy straight away.