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It's my conviction that the new year calls for a delightful dessert. During a month typically filled with grey skies, a small indulgence can lift spirits. Granted, I'm not after decadent, heavy desserts, but something like this light yoghurt panna cotta hits the spot. With a casual look, it could easily pass for a special morning parfait.

Yoghurt Panna Cotta with Tahini-Oat Topping

Prepare a generous amount of topping for this dessert. Save the excess in an tightly-closed tub as a ready-made textured garnish for future use.

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 small bowl of cold water. Let them sit for roughly 5 mins, until they are soft. Then, drain them and press out remaining moisture. Set them aside.

Using a small pot, combine the cream with the honey, vanilla paste, and salt. Cook on a low heat until steaming taking care not to boil. Turn off the heat and whisk in the squeezed gelatine until it is completely dissolved. Vigorously whisk in the Greek yoghurt thoroughly. Spoon the blend into serving pots and chill in the fridge for a couple of hours, until firmly set.

While that chills, make the crumble. Heat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan)/375°F/gas 5. Cover a baking sheet with greaseproof paper. Combine in a bowl the oats, flour, sugar, sesame seeds, salt, and cinnamon. Mix well to combine. Incorporate the melted butter and tahini, then stir until coated so everything is evenly coated. Pour it onto the baking tray and cook for 18 to 22 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven, cool entirely, then crumble it up into rustic chunks.

For the bananas: using a saucepan, warm the honey with two tablespoons of water. Add the sliced bananas and cook until they begin to soften and the mixture becomes like a glaze. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

To serve, spoon the warm bananas over the set panna cottas. Finish with the tahini crumble and serve immediately.