🔗 Share this article

My stance is that the new year still deserves a delightful dessert. In a period typically filled with grey skies, a spark of joy can lift spirits. This isn't about decadent, heavy desserts, but the likes of this light yoghurt panna cotta is absolutely perfect. If you glance quickly, it might be mistaken for a special morning parfait.

Creamy Yoghurt Custard with Banana and Tahini Crumble

This recipe yields a generous amount of topping for this dessert. Store the remainder in an sealed jar for a handy 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

First, place the gelatine sheets in a ramekin of cold water. Let them sit for about five minutes, until they are soft. Afterwards, discard the water and remove remaining moisture. Set them aside.

Place in a pan, mix the whipping cream with the honey, vanilla paste, and salt. Warm over a low flame until warmed through but not boiling. Take the pan off the stove and stir in the prepared gelatine until it is totally melted. Vigorously whisk in the Greek yoghurt thoroughly. Pour the mixture into serving pots and chill in the fridge for a couple of hours, until completely set.

While that chills, make the crumble. Heat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan)/375°F/gas 5. Line a small baking tray with greaseproof 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 combine well so everything is well covered. Pour it onto the lined sheet and bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until crisp and coloured. Once baked, allow to cool fully, then crumble it up into irregular pieces.

To prepare the bananas: in a small pan, combine the honey with two tablespoons of water. Stir in the banana slices and heat until they are tender and the syrup thickens slightly syrupy. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

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