An Inspired Recipe for Yoghurt Panna Cotta with Tahini-Banana Topping

It's my conviction that the new year calls for a delightful dessert. During a month typically filled with grey skies, a small indulgence goes a long way. Granted, I'm not after anything overly rich, but something like this creamy yoghurt-based dessert fits the bill perfectly. With a casual look, it resembles a decadent yoghurt bowl.

Yoghurt Panna Cotta with Tahini-Oat Topping

This recipe yields a generous amount of topping for the panna cotta. Store the remainder in an sealed jar as a ready-made crunchy snack 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 chilled water. Let them sit for about five minutes, until they are soft. Next, pour off the water and remove remaining moisture. 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 warmed through without letting it boil. Turn off the heat and add the squeezed gelatine until it is fully incorporated. Vigorously whisk in the Greek yoghurt until smooth. Divide the custard into individual ramekins and refrigerate for at least two hours, until firmly set.

While that chills, make the crumble. Preheat 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. Stir together thoroughly. Incorporate the melted butter and tahini, then stir until coated so everything is well covered. Pour it onto the prepared tray and bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until golden brown. Take it out, let it cool completely, then break into pieces into rustic chunks.

For the bananas: using a saucepan, warm the honey with two tablespoons of water. Put in the bananas and cook until they soften slightly and the liquid reduces a bit sticky. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

For assembly, spoon the warm bananas over the set panna cottas. Add a generous topping of the tahini crumble and dig in.