🔗 Share this article

It's my conviction that January still deserves a delightful dessert. In a period often characterised by gloomy days, a little sweetness goes a long way. Granted, I'm not after anything overly rich, but a dessert such as this refreshing set custard fits the bill perfectly. If you glance quickly, it could easily pass for a fancy breakfast pot.

Creamy Yoghurt Custard with Tahini-Oat Topping

You'll have extra crumble mixture for the panna cotta. Store the remainder in an tightly-closed tub 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

Soak the gelatine sheets in a little dish of cool water. Allow them to soak for 5 minutes or so, until pliable. Afterwards, discard the water and press out the extra water. Put them to one side.

In a small saucepan, mix the whipping cream with the honey, vanilla paste, and salt. Heat gently until steaming taking care not to boil. Remove from the heat and whisk in the prepared gelatine until it is totally melted. Then, mix in the Greek yoghurt thoroughly. Divide the custard into serving pots and refrigerate for at least two hours, until solid.

Meanwhile, prepare the crumble. Set your oven to 190°C (170°C fan)/375°F/gas 5. Prepare a tray with parchment paper. Using a large 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 lined sheet and place in the oven for 18 to 22 minutes, until golden brown. Once baked, let it cool completely, then crumble it up into rustic chunks.

Next, cook the bananas: in a small pan, gently heat the honey with two tablespoons of water. Add the sliced bananas and simmer until they are tender and the liquid reduces slightly syrupy. Take off the stove and let it cool a bit.

Finally, top each panna cotta over the set panna cottas. Sprinkle over the tahini crumble and dig in.