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It's my conviction that the first month calls for a delightful dessert. During a month typically filled with gloomy days, a little sweetness can lift spirits. I'm not suggesting decadent, heavy desserts, but a dessert such as this refreshing set custard hits the spot. If you glance quickly, it resembles a decadent yoghurt bowl.

Yoghurt Panna Cotta with Tahini-Oat Topping

This recipe yields more crumble than needed for this dessert. Store the remainder in an sealed jar 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 little dish of cool water. Let them sit for roughly 5 mins, until softened. Afterwards, discard the water and remove remaining moisture. Set them aside.

Place in a pan, combine the cream with the honey, vanilla paste, and salt. Cook on a low heat until steaming but not boiling. Remove from the heat and stir in the squeezed gelatine until it is completely dissolved. Vigorously whisk in the Greek yoghurt thoroughly. Divide the custard into individual ramekins and refrigerate for a couple of hours, until completely set.

Meanwhile, prepare the crumble. Set your oven to 190°C (170°C fan)/375°F/gas 5. Cover a baking sheet with greaseproof paper. Using a large bowl the oats, flour, sugar, sesame seeds, salt, and cinnamon. Toss to blend. Add the melted butter and tahini, then stir until coated so everything is evenly coated. Tip the blend onto the lined sheet and bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until crisp and coloured. Take it out, allow to cool fully, then crumble it up into rustic chunks.

Next, cook the bananas: place in a pot, warm the honey with two tablespoons of water. Put in the bananas and simmer until they soften slightly and the mixture becomes slightly syrupy. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

Finally, top each panna cotta over the set panna cottas. Add a generous topping of the tahini crumble and enjoy straight away.