🔗 Share this article

I firmly believe that the first month isn't complete without a delightful dessert. During a month that can be grey skies, a little sweetness is essential. Granted, I'm not after decadent, heavy desserts, but the likes of this light yoghurt panna cotta fits the bill perfectly. At first sight, it resembles a decadent yoghurt bowl.

Yoghurt Panna Cotta with Tahini-Oat Topping

You'll have extra crumble mixture for this dessert. Store the remainder 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

Begin by putting the gelatine sheets in a little dish of cool water. Leave them to soften for 5 minutes or so, until softened. Afterwards, discard the water and gently squeeze out any excess liquid. Set them aside.

In a small saucepan, add the cream with the honey, vanilla paste, and salt. Heat gently until hot without letting it boil. Remove from the heat and add the prepared gelatine until it is fully incorporated. Vigorously whisk in the Greek yoghurt until smooth. Divide the custard into four small glasses and refrigerate for several hours, until solid.

Now for the crumble. Set your oven to 190°C (170°C fan)/375°F/gas 5. Prepare a tray with parchment paper. In a mixing bowl the oats, flour, sugar, sesame seeds, salt, and cinnamon. Toss to blend. Pour in the melted butter and tahini, then stir until coated so everything is evenly coated. Spread the mixture onto the baking tray and cook for 18 to 22 minutes, until golden brown. Once baked, let it cool completely, then break into pieces into rustic chunks.

Next, cook the bananas: using a saucepan, combine the honey with two tablespoons of water. Stir in the banana slices and heat until they are tender and the liquid reduces slightly syrupy. Take off the stove and allow to cool slightly.

Finally, divide the banana mixture onto the chilled desserts. Sprinkle over the tahini crumble and dig in.