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My stance is that January still deserves a delightful dessert. During a month often characterised by dreary weather, a spark of joy goes a long way. I'm not suggesting anything overly rich, but a dessert such as 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

You'll have more crumble than needed for the panna cotta. Store the remainder in an tightly-closed tub to enjoy as a textured garnish 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

Begin by putting the gelatine sheets in a little dish of cool water. Allow them to soak for roughly 5 mins, until softened. Then, drain them and remove any excess liquid. Set them aside.

Place in a pan, combine the cream with the honey, vanilla paste, and salt. Warm over a low flame until warmed through taking care not to boil. Take the pan off the stove and stir in the squeezed gelatine until it is totally melted. Incorporate the Greek yoghurt until well combined. Divide the custard into four small glasses and place in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, until solid.

Meanwhile, prepare the crumble. Set your oven to 190°C (170°C fan)/375°F/gas 5. Line a small baking tray with baking paper. In a mixing 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 nicely mixed. Pour it onto the baking tray and place in the oven for 18 to 22 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven, let it cool completely, then break into pieces into rough bits.

To prepare the bananas: place in a pot, warm the honey with two tablespoons of water. Put in the bananas and cook until they soften slightly and the syrup thickens like a glaze. Remove from the heat and let it cool a bit.

To serve, top each panna cotta on top of the custards. Sprinkle over the tahini crumble and enjoy straight away.