A Delicious Recipe for Yoghurt Panna Cotta with Tahini-Banana Topping

It's my conviction that the first month still deserves a sweet treat. During a month that can be gloomy days, a spark of joy goes a long way. Granted, I'm not after decadent, heavy desserts, but something like this creamy yoghurt-based dessert is absolutely perfect. At first sight, it might be mistaken for a special morning parfait.

Yoghurt Panna Cotta with Tahini-Oat Topping

You'll have more crumble than needed for this dessert. Save the excess in an sealed jar 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

Soak the gelatine sheets in a ramekin of cold water. Let them sit for 5 minutes or so, until pliable. Then, drain them and remove remaining moisture. Put them to one side.

Place in a pan, combine the cream with the honey, vanilla paste, and salt. Warm over a low flame until warmed through without letting it boil. Remove from the heat and whisk in the prepared gelatine until it is completely dissolved. Then, mix in the Greek yoghurt until well combined. Spoon the blend into serving pots and place in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, until solid.

Now for the crumble. Heat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan)/375°F/gas 5. Prepare a tray with baking paper. Combine in a bowl the oats, flour, sugar, sesame seeds, salt, and cinnamon. Toss to blend. Incorporate the melted butter and tahini, then mix thoroughly so everything is nicely mixed. Tip the blend onto the prepared tray and bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until crisp and coloured. Remove from the oven, cool entirely, then break it up into rough bits.

To prepare 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 like a glaze. Take off the stove and allow to cool slightly.

Finally, divide the banana mixture onto the chilled desserts. Sprinkle over the tahini crumble and enjoy straight away.