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I firmly believe that January calls for a delightful dessert. During a month typically filled with grey skies, a spark of joy goes a long way. Granted, I'm not after dense confections, but something like this light yoghurt panna cotta fits the bill perfectly. If you glance quickly, it resembles a decadent yoghurt bowl.

Creamy Yoghurt Custard with Banana and Tahini Crumble

You'll have more crumble than needed for the panna cotta. Save the excess in an sealed jar to enjoy as a 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

Soak the gelatine sheets in a small bowl of cold water. Leave them to soften for about five minutes, until pliable. Afterwards, discard the water and press out remaining moisture. Put them to one side.

Place in a pan, mix the whipping cream with the honey, vanilla paste, and salt. Heat gently until warmed through without letting it boil. Take the pan off the stove and whisk in the squeezed gelatine until it is totally melted. Incorporate the Greek yoghurt until smooth. Spoon the blend 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. 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. Pour it onto the prepared tray and place in the oven for 18 to 22 minutes, until crisp and coloured. Take it out, allow to cool fully, then break into pieces into irregular pieces.

For the bananas: using a saucepan, gently heat the honey with two tablespoons of water. Put in the bananas and heat until they soften slightly and the liquid reduces slightly syrupy. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

To serve, divide the banana mixture onto the chilled desserts. Add a generous topping of the tahini crumble and dig in.