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It's my conviction that the new year calls for a sweet treat. At a time that can be grey skies, a spark of joy is essential. This isn't about anything overly rich, but the likes of this light yoghurt panna cotta hits the spot. If you glance quickly, it might be mistaken for a special morning parfait.

Creamy Yoghurt Custard with Banana and Tahini Crumble

You'll have extra crumble mixture for this dessert. Save the excess in an sealed jar to enjoy as a crispy treat later on.

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 small bowl of cold water. Leave them to soften for roughly 5 mins, until pliable. Then, drain them and press out remaining moisture. Set them aside.

In a small saucepan, add the cream with the honey, vanilla paste, and salt. Heat gently until steaming but not boiling. Turn off the heat and add the softened gelatine until it is completely dissolved. Then, mix in the Greek yoghurt until well combined. 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 parchment paper. In a mixing bowl the oats, flour, sugar, sesame seeds, salt, and cinnamon. Mix well to combine. Add the melted butter and tahini, then stir until coated so everything is nicely mixed. Pour it onto the baking tray and cook for 18 to 22 minutes, until nicely browned. Remove from the oven, cool entirely, then break into pieces into irregular pieces.

Next, cook the bananas: using a saucepan, warm the honey with two tablespoons of water. Add the sliced bananas and heat until they soften slightly and the syrup thickens a bit sticky. Turn off the heat and let it cool a bit.

Finally, spoon the warm bananas on top of the custards. Sprinkle over the tahini crumble and dig in.