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My stance is that the new year still deserves a delightful dessert. At a time typically filled with gloomy days, 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. If you glance quickly, it might be mistaken for a decadent yoghurt bowl.

Creamy Yoghurt Custard with Tahini-Oat Topping

You'll have a generous amount of topping for the panna cotta. Store the remainder in an airtight container as a ready-made 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 small bowl of chilled water. Leave them to soften for about five minutes, until softened. Next, pour off the water and gently squeeze out any excess liquid. Put them to one side.

Place in a pan, add the cream with the honey, vanilla paste, and salt. Cook on a low heat until steaming taking care not to boil. Remove from the heat and add the softened gelatine until it is completely dissolved. Then, mix in the Greek yoghurt thoroughly. Pour the mixture into four small glasses and refrigerate for several hours, until completely set.

Now for the crumble. Preheat your oven to 190°C (170°C fan)/375°F/gas 5. Line a small baking tray with baking paper. Combine in a 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 nicely mixed. Spread the mixture onto the prepared tray and cook for 18 to 22 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven, allow to cool fully, then break into pieces into rustic chunks.

To prepare the bananas: using a saucepan, gently heat the honey with two tablespoons of water. Put in the bananas and cook until they begin to soften and the liquid reduces like a glaze. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

For assembly, divide the banana mixture over the set panna cottas. Finish with the tahini crumble and dig in.