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My stance is that January still deserves a tasty finale. In a period often characterised by gloomy days, a spark of joy is essential. I'm not suggesting dense confections, but something like this creamy yoghurt-based dessert hits the spot. With a casual look, it could easily pass for a decadent yoghurt bowl.

Yoghurt Panna Cotta with Banana and Tahini Crumble

Prepare a generous amount of topping for four servings. Store the remainder in an tightly-closed tub as a ready-made crunchy snack 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 ramekin of cold water. Let them sit for 5 minutes or so, until softened. Then, drain them and gently squeeze out the extra water. Put them to one side.

In a small saucepan, mix the whipping cream with the honey, vanilla paste, and salt. Cook on a low heat until steaming without letting it boil. Remove from the heat and whisk in the prepared gelatine until it is totally melted. Vigorously whisk in the Greek yoghurt until smooth. Pour the mixture into four small glasses and chill in the fridge for at least two hours, until completely set.

While that chills, make the crumble. Preheat your 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. Mix well to combine. Incorporate the melted butter and tahini, then stir until coated so everything is well covered. Spread the mixture onto the baking tray and place in the oven for 18 to 22 minutes, until nicely browned. Remove from the oven, let it cool completely, then break it up into irregular pieces.

To prepare the bananas: in a small pan, warm the honey with two tablespoons of water. Put in the bananas and heat until they soften slightly and the syrup thickens a bit sticky. Remove from the heat and let it cool a bit.

For assembly, top each panna cotta onto the chilled desserts. Finish with the tahini crumble and dig in.