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My stance is that the new year still deserves a tasty finale. During a month often characterised by gloomy days, a spark of joy is essential. Granted, I'm not after dense confections, but the likes of this light yoghurt panna cotta is absolutely perfect. With a casual look, it could easily pass for a decadent yoghurt bowl.

Creamy Yoghurt Custard with Banana and Tahini Crumble

Prepare a generous amount of topping for this dessert. Save the excess in an airtight container for a handy crispy treat another time.

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 roughly 5 mins, until softened. Then, drain them and remove any excess liquid. Reserve for later.

In a small saucepan, mix the whipping cream with the honey, vanilla paste, and salt. Warm over a low flame until steaming taking care not to boil. Turn off the heat and add the softened gelatine until it is totally melted. Incorporate the Greek yoghurt until well combined. Spoon the blend into four small glasses and place in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, until solid.

While that chills, make the crumble. Heat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan)/375°F/gas 5. Cover a baking sheet with baking paper. In a mixing bowl the oats, flour, sugar, sesame seeds, salt, and cinnamon. Mix well to combine. Add the melted butter and tahini, then combine well so everything is evenly coated. Tip the blend onto the lined sheet and cook for 18 to 22 minutes, until nicely browned. Remove from the oven, let it cool completely, then crumble it up into rustic chunks.

Next, cook the bananas: using a saucepan, combine the honey with two tablespoons of water. Add the sliced bananas and simmer until they are tender and the mixture becomes like a glaze. Turn off the heat and set aside to cool.

To serve, spoon the warm bananas on top of the custards. Sprinkle over the tahini crumble and dig in.