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I firmly believe that January calls for a delightful dessert. During a month that can be gloomy days, a spark of joy is essential. I'm not suggesting dense confections, but something like this refreshing set custard fits the bill perfectly. With a casual look, it resembles a fancy breakfast pot.

Creamy Yoghurt Custard with Banana and Tahini Crumble

You'll have a generous amount of topping for this dessert. Save the excess in an tightly-closed tub to enjoy as a 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

Soak the gelatine sheets in a small bowl of chilled water. Let them sit for 5 minutes or so, until softened. Afterwards, discard the water and press out the extra water. Reserve for later.

Place in a pan, mix the whipping cream with the honey, vanilla paste, and salt. Heat gently until hot taking care not to boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the squeezed gelatine until it is fully incorporated. Vigorously whisk in the Greek yoghurt until smooth. Pour the mixture into four small glasses and refrigerate for several hours, until completely set.

Meanwhile, prepare the crumble. Preheat your oven to 190°C (170°C fan)/375°F/gas 5. Prepare a tray with parchment paper. Using a large bowl the oats, flour, sugar, sesame seeds, salt, and cinnamon. Mix well to combine. Incorporate the melted butter and tahini, then stir until coated so everything is nicely mixed. Tip the blend onto the lined sheet and cook for 18 to 22 minutes, until crisp and coloured. Take it out, let it cool completely, then break into pieces 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 simmer until they begin to soften and the syrup thickens slightly syrupy. Take off the stove and set aside to cool.

Finally, top each panna cotta over the set panna cottas. Add a generous topping of the tahini crumble and dig in.