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My stance is that the first month calls for a sweet treat. In a period often characterised by gloomy days, a little sweetness goes a long way. I'm not suggesting dense confections, but the likes of this light yoghurt panna cotta fits the bill perfectly. If you glance quickly, it could easily pass for a decadent yoghurt bowl.

Yoghurt Panna Cotta with Banana and Tahini Crumble

This recipe yields 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

Begin by putting the gelatine sheets in a small bowl of cold water. Allow them to soak for about five minutes, until pliable. Afterwards, discard the water and remove any excess liquid. Set them aside.

Using a small pot, add the cream with the honey, vanilla paste, and salt. Heat gently until warmed through without letting it boil. Remove from the heat and whisk in the squeezed gelatine until it is completely dissolved. Vigorously whisk in the Greek yoghurt thoroughly. Pour the mixture into serving pots and chill in the fridge for a couple of hours, until solid.

Now for the crumble. Heat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan)/375°F/gas 5. Cover a baking sheet with baking 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 mix thoroughly so everything is nicely mixed. Tip the blend onto the baking tray and bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until crisp and coloured. Take it out, allow to cool fully, then crumble it up into rough bits.

Next, cook the bananas: place in a pot, combine the honey with two tablespoons of water. Put in the bananas and heat until they soften slightly and the mixture becomes a bit sticky. Remove from the heat and let it cool a bit.

For assembly, top each panna cotta on top of the custards. Add a generous topping of the tahini crumble and dig in.