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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 little sweetness goes a long way. Granted, I'm not after decadent, heavy desserts, but a dessert such as this creamy yoghurt-based dessert hits the spot. If you glance quickly, it could easily pass for a fancy breakfast pot.

Yoghurt Panna Cotta with Tahini-Oat Topping

Prepare more crumble than needed for four servings. Store the remainder in an airtight container for a handy crunchy snack 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 ramekin of chilled water. Leave them to soften for 5 minutes or so, until softened. Then, drain them and press out any excess liquid. Set them aside.

Place in a pan, combine the cream with the honey, vanilla paste, and salt. Cook on a low heat until steaming without letting it boil. Turn off the heat and whisk in the softened gelatine until it is totally melted. Incorporate the Greek yoghurt thoroughly. Spoon the blend into four small glasses and chill in the fridge for at least two hours, until completely set.

Now for the crumble. Heat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan)/375°F/gas 5. Cover a baking sheet with greaseproof paper. Combine in a bowl the oats, flour, sugar, sesame seeds, salt, and cinnamon. Stir together thoroughly. Pour in the melted butter and tahini, then stir until coated so everything is well covered. Pour it onto the baking tray and bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until golden brown. Once baked, allow to cool fully, then crumble it up into irregular pieces.

Next, cook the bananas: using a saucepan, gently heat the honey with two tablespoons of water. Put in the bananas and simmer until they are tender and the syrup thickens slightly syrupy. Turn off the heat and let it cool a bit.

To serve, top each panna cotta onto the chilled desserts. Add a generous topping of the tahini crumble and dig in.