🔗 Share this article

My stance is that January isn't complete without a sweet treat. At a time often characterised by gloomy days, a little sweetness is essential. This isn't about dense confections, but something like this creamy yoghurt-based dessert fits the bill perfectly. With a casual look, it could easily pass for a decadent yoghurt bowl.

Yoghurt Panna Cotta with Banana and Tahini Crumble

This recipe yields a generous amount of topping for this dessert. Store the remainder in an airtight container as a ready-made crunchy snack 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

First, place the gelatine sheets in a little dish of chilled water. Leave them to soften for about five minutes, until softened. Then, drain them 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. Cook on a low heat until steaming but not boiling. Take the pan off the stove and add the softened gelatine until it is totally melted. Incorporate the Greek yoghurt until well combined. Pour the mixture into four small glasses and chill in the fridge for a couple of hours, until firmly set.

Now for the crumble. Preheat your oven to 190°C (170°C fan)/375°F/gas 5. Cover a baking sheet with baking paper. Combine in a bowl the oats, flour, sugar, sesame seeds, salt, and cinnamon. Toss to blend. Pour in the melted butter and tahini, then combine well so everything is well covered. Spread the mixture onto the lined sheet and cook for 18 to 22 minutes, until golden brown. Once baked, allow to cool fully, then crumble it up into rough bits.

To prepare the bananas: in a small pan, combine the honey with two tablespoons of water. Stir in the banana slices and simmer until they begin to soften and the syrup thickens slightly syrupy. Remove from the heat and let it cool a bit.

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