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My stance is that January still deserves a tasty finale. At a time that can be gloomy days, a spark of joy can lift spirits. Granted, I'm not after dense confections, but something like this light yoghurt panna cotta is absolutely perfect. With a casual look, it could easily pass for a decadent yoghurt bowl.

Yoghurt Panna Cotta with Tahini-Oat Topping

Prepare a generous amount of topping for the panna cotta. Store the remainder in an tightly-closed tub as a ready-made crispy treat 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 ramekin of cold water. Allow them to soak for about five minutes, until they are soft. Afterwards, discard the water and gently squeeze out any excess liquid. Put them to one side.

Place in a pan, add the cream with the honey, vanilla paste, and salt. Cook on a low heat until steaming without letting it boil. Take the pan off the stove and stir in the prepared gelatine until it is completely dissolved. Vigorously whisk in the Greek yoghurt until well combined. Divide the custard into serving pots and refrigerate for a couple of hours, until solid.

Now for the crumble. Set your 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 nicely mixed. Tip the blend onto the baking tray and cook for 18 to 22 minutes, until crisp and coloured. Remove from the oven, allow to cool fully, then break into pieces into irregular pieces.

To prepare the bananas: using a saucepan, warm the honey with two tablespoons of water. Stir in the banana slices and heat until they soften slightly and the mixture becomes like a glaze. Turn off the heat and allow to cool slightly.

For assembly, spoon the warm bananas on top of the custards. Add a generous topping of the tahini crumble and dig in.