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It's my conviction that the first month still deserves a sweet treat. At a time that can be grey skies, a little sweetness goes a long way. Granted, I'm not after anything overly rich, but a dessert such as this refreshing set custard is absolutely perfect. At first sight, it might be mistaken for a decadent yoghurt bowl.

Yoghurt Panna Cotta with Banana and Tahini Crumble

This recipe yields more crumble than needed for the panna cotta. Save the excess in an sealed jar for a handy 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

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

Using a small pot, mix the whipping cream with the honey, vanilla paste, and salt. Warm over a low flame until steaming taking care not to boil. Turn off the heat and add the softened gelatine until it is completely dissolved. Then, mix in the Greek yoghurt until smooth. Spoon the blend into serving pots and refrigerate for several hours, until completely set.

While that chills, make the crumble. Preheat your oven to 190°C (170°C fan)/375°F/gas 5. Prepare a tray with greaseproof paper. Combine in a bowl the oats, flour, sugar, sesame seeds, salt, and cinnamon. Stir together thoroughly. Pour in the melted butter and tahini, then combine well so everything is evenly coated. Pour it onto the lined sheet and place in the oven for 18 to 22 minutes, until nicely browned. Once baked, let it cool completely, then break into pieces into irregular pieces.

Next, cook the bananas: in a small pan, combine the honey with two tablespoons of water. Stir in the banana slices and cook until they soften slightly and the mixture becomes slightly syrupy. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

For assembly, spoon the warm bananas onto the chilled desserts. Finish with the tahini crumble and dig in.