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My stance is that January calls for a tasty finale. In a period that can be gloomy days, a spark of joy goes a long way. I'm not suggesting decadent, heavy desserts, but a dessert such as this creamy yoghurt-based dessert fits the bill perfectly. If you glance quickly, it resembles a decadent yoghurt bowl.

Creamy Yoghurt Custard with Banana and Tahini Crumble

You'll have extra crumble mixture for this dessert. Keep the leftovers in an tightly-closed tub as a ready-made textured garnish 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 ramekin of cool water. Allow them to soak for roughly 5 mins, until they are soft. Afterwards, discard the water and remove remaining moisture. Reserve for later.

Place in a pan, add the cream with the honey, vanilla paste, and salt. Heat gently until steaming taking care not to boil. Remove from the heat and add the softened gelatine until it is fully incorporated. Then, mix in the Greek yoghurt until well combined. Spoon the blend into four small glasses and place in the refrigerator for several hours, until firmly set.

Now for the crumble. Heat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan)/375°F/gas 5. Prepare a tray with greaseproof paper. Using a large bowl the oats, flour, sugar, sesame seeds, salt, and cinnamon. Stir together thoroughly. Incorporate the melted butter and tahini, then stir until coated so everything is well covered. Spread the mixture onto the lined sheet and place in the oven for 18 to 22 minutes, until nicely browned. Remove from the oven, allow to cool fully, then crumble it up into rough bits.

Next, cook the bananas: place in a pot, combine the honey with two tablespoons of water. Stir in the banana slices and heat until they are tender and the liquid reduces slightly syrupy. Turn off the heat and set aside to cool.

For assembly, spoon the warm bananas onto the chilled desserts. Finish with the tahini crumble and serve immediately.