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It's my conviction that the first month calls for a delightful dessert. In a period often characterised by grey skies, a spark of joy is essential. Granted, I'm not after anything overly rich, but a dessert such as this light yoghurt panna cotta hits the spot. If you glance quickly, it might be mistaken for a special morning parfait.

Creamy Yoghurt Custard with Banana and Tahini Crumble

You'll have extra crumble mixture for four servings. Save the excess in an sealed jar to enjoy as a 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

First, place the gelatine sheets in a small bowl of cold water. Let them sit for about five minutes, until they are soft. Then, drain them and gently squeeze out any excess liquid. Put them to one side.

Using a small pot, mix the whipping cream with the honey, vanilla paste, and salt. Warm over a low flame until steaming taking care not to boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the squeezed gelatine until it is completely dissolved. Incorporate the Greek yoghurt until smooth. Divide the custard into four small glasses and refrigerate for at least two hours, until completely set.

While that chills, make the crumble. Set your oven to 190°C (170°C fan)/375°F/gas 5. Line a small baking tray with baking paper. Using a large bowl the oats, flour, sugar, sesame seeds, salt, and cinnamon. Mix well to combine. Pour in the melted butter and tahini, then stir until coated so everything is nicely mixed. Tip the blend onto the lined sheet and place in the oven for 18 to 22 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven, allow to cool fully, then break into pieces into rustic chunks.

Next, cook the bananas: in a small pan, combine the honey with two tablespoons of water. Put in the bananas and heat until they are tender and the syrup thickens slightly syrupy. Remove from the heat and let it cool a bit.

For assembly, top each panna cotta onto the chilled desserts. Add a generous topping of the tahini crumble and serve immediately.