It's my conviction that the first month calls for a tasty finale. During a month typically filled with gloomy days, a spark of joy goes a long way. Granted, I'm not after decadent, heavy desserts, but the likes of this light yoghurt panna cotta hits the spot. If you glance quickly, it resembles a special morning parfait.
Creamy Yoghurt Custard with Banana and Tahini Crumble
Prepare a generous amount of topping for this dessert. Keep the leftovers in an sealed jar as a ready-made textured garnish another time.
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 chilled water. Let them sit for roughly 5 mins, until pliable. Then, drain them and remove the extra water. Reserve for later.
Place in a pan, add the cream with the honey, vanilla paste, and salt. Cook on a low heat until steaming without letting it boil. Remove from the heat and whisk in the softened gelatine until it is fully incorporated. Vigorously whisk in the Greek yoghurt thoroughly. Divide the custard into individual ramekins and place in the refrigerator for several hours, until solid.
Meanwhile, prepare the crumble. Preheat your oven to 190°C (170°C fan)/375°F/gas 5. Prepare a tray with parchment paper. In a mixing bowl the oats, flour, sugar, sesame seeds, salt, and cinnamon. Toss to blend. Add the melted butter and tahini, then mix thoroughly so everything is evenly coated. Pour it onto the baking tray and place in the oven for 18 to 22 minutes, until crisp and coloured. Once baked, allow to cool fully, then crumble it up into rough bits.
To prepare the bananas: in a small pan, combine the honey with two tablespoons of water. Stir in the banana slices and cook until they soften slightly and the mixture becomes slightly syrupy. Take off the stove and let it cool a bit.
For assembly, spoon the warm bananas over the set panna cottas. Sprinkle over the tahini crumble and serve immediately.
