🔗 Share this article

My stance is that January still deserves a delightful dessert. During a month typically filled with grey skies, a small indulgence can lift spirits. I'm not suggesting dense confections, but the likes of this light yoghurt panna cotta fits the bill perfectly. At first sight, it could easily pass for a fancy breakfast pot.

Yoghurt Panna Cotta with Banana and Tahini Crumble

This recipe yields more crumble than needed for four servings. Save the excess in an airtight container 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

First, place the gelatine sheets in a ramekin of cool water. Leave them to soften for roughly 5 mins, until they are soft. Next, pour off the water and press out the extra water. Set them aside.

Place in a pan, combine the cream with the honey, vanilla paste, and salt. Heat gently until warmed through without letting it boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the prepared gelatine until it is totally melted. Incorporate the Greek yoghurt until well combined. Divide the custard into serving pots and refrigerate for at least two hours, until solid.

Meanwhile, prepare the crumble. Preheat your oven to 190°C (170°C fan)/375°F/gas 5. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a mixing bowl the oats, flour, sugar, sesame seeds, salt, and cinnamon. Mix well to combine. Incorporate the melted butter and tahini, then mix thoroughly so everything is well covered. Pour it onto the prepared tray and cook for 18 to 22 minutes, until nicely browned. Once baked, let it cool completely, then break it up into rustic chunks.

To prepare the bananas: using a saucepan, warm the honey with two tablespoons of water. Stir in the banana slices and simmer until they are tender and the liquid reduces slightly syrupy. Turn off the heat and allow to cool slightly.

For assembly, top each panna cotta over the set panna cottas. Finish with the tahini crumble and serve immediately.