🔗 Share this article

My stance is that January calls for a delightful dessert. At a time often characterised by gloomy days, a small indulgence goes a long way. This isn't about anything overly rich, but something like this light yoghurt panna cotta hits the spot. If you glance quickly, it might be mistaken for a special morning parfait.

Yoghurt Panna Cotta with Tahini-Oat Topping

This recipe yields a generous amount of topping for the panna cotta. Save the excess in an tightly-closed tub for a handy 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

Soak the gelatine sheets in a small bowl of cool water. Leave them to soften for roughly 5 mins, until pliable. Afterwards, discard the water and gently squeeze out remaining moisture. Reserve for later.

Place in a pan, combine the cream with the honey, vanilla paste, and salt. Warm over a low flame until warmed through but not boiling. Turn off the heat and stir in the squeezed gelatine until it is completely dissolved. Then, mix in the Greek yoghurt until well combined. Pour the mixture into four small glasses and place in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, until solid.

Now for the crumble. Preheat your oven to 190°C (170°C fan)/375°F/gas 5. Line a small baking tray with parchment paper. Combine in a bowl the oats, flour, sugar, sesame seeds, salt, and cinnamon. Stir together thoroughly. Incorporate the melted butter and tahini, then stir until coated so everything is evenly coated. Pour it onto the baking tray and cook for 18 to 22 minutes, until crisp and coloured. Remove from the oven, allow to cool fully, then break it up into rustic chunks.

Next, cook the bananas: using a saucepan, gently heat the honey with two tablespoons of water. Put in the bananas and cook until they begin to soften and the syrup thickens a bit sticky. Turn off the heat and allow to cool slightly.

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