Benjamina Ebuehi's Recipe for Yoghurt Panna Cotta with Banana and Tahini Crumble

My stance is that the first month still deserves a delightful dessert. In a period typically filled with gloomy days, a spark of joy is essential. I'm not suggesting anything overly rich, but a dessert such as this light yoghurt panna cotta is absolutely perfect. If you glance quickly, it resembles a special morning parfait.

Creamy Yoghurt Custard with Banana and Tahini Crumble

Prepare more crumble than needed for this dessert. Save the excess in an airtight container as a ready-made 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 little dish of cold water. Leave them to soften for roughly 5 mins, until they are soft. Then, drain them and gently squeeze out any excess liquid. Set them aside.

Place in a pan, add the cream with the honey, vanilla paste, and salt. Cook on a low heat until warmed through without letting it boil. Take the pan off the stove and whisk in the prepared gelatine until it is totally melted. Vigorously whisk in the Greek yoghurt thoroughly. Pour the mixture into individual ramekins and refrigerate for several hours, until firmly set.

Meanwhile, prepare the crumble. Set your oven to 190°C (170°C fan)/375°F/gas 5. Line a small baking tray with baking paper. Combine in a bowl the oats, flour, sugar, sesame seeds, salt, and cinnamon. Mix well to combine. Pour in the melted butter and tahini, then mix thoroughly so everything is nicely mixed. Tip the blend onto the prepared tray and cook for 18 to 22 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven, allow to cool fully, then crumble it up into rough bits.

Next, cook the bananas: place in a pot, gently heat the honey with two tablespoons of water. Put in the bananas and heat until they are tender and the mixture becomes like a glaze. Remove from the heat and let it cool a bit.

For assembly, divide the banana mixture over the set panna cottas. Add a generous topping of the tahini crumble and enjoy straight away.