🔗 Share this article

My stance is that the first month isn't complete without a delightful dessert. At a time typically filled with grey skies, a spark of joy goes a long way. I'm not suggesting anything overly rich, but something like this light yoghurt panna cotta fits the bill perfectly. With a casual look, it resembles a decadent yoghurt bowl.

Yoghurt Panna Cotta with Tahini-Oat Topping

Prepare more crumble than needed for this dessert. Keep the leftovers in an sealed jar 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 small bowl of cool water. Leave them to soften for roughly 5 mins, until pliable. Next, pour off the water and gently squeeze out any excess liquid. Reserve for later.

Place in a pan, add the 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 stir in the softened gelatine until it is fully incorporated. Vigorously whisk in the Greek yoghurt thoroughly. Pour the mixture into individual ramekins and refrigerate for at least two hours, until solid.

Meanwhile, prepare the crumble. Preheat your oven to 190°C (170°C fan)/375°F/gas 5. Line a small baking tray with parchment 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 nicely mixed. Spread the mixture onto the baking tray and place in the oven for 18 to 22 minutes, until crisp and coloured. Take it out, cool entirely, then crumble it up into rustic chunks.

To prepare the bananas: using a saucepan, gently heat the honey with two tablespoons of water. Stir in the banana slices and heat until they are tender and the mixture becomes slightly syrupy. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

For assembly, spoon the warm bananas over the set panna cottas. Sprinkle over the tahini crumble and enjoy straight away.