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It's my conviction that the new year calls for a tasty finale. During a month that can be grey skies, a little sweetness is essential. Granted, I'm not after dense confections, but something like this light yoghurt panna cotta hits the spot. If you glance quickly, it resembles a special morning parfait.

Yoghurt Panna Cotta with Banana and Tahini Crumble

Prepare a generous amount of topping for this dessert. 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 cold water. Leave them to soften for roughly 5 mins, until pliable. Next, pour off the water and press out the extra water. Set them aside.

Using a small pot, mix the whipping cream with the honey, vanilla paste, and salt. Heat gently until hot taking care not to boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the squeezed gelatine until it is fully incorporated. Incorporate the Greek yoghurt thoroughly. Divide the custard into four small glasses and chill in the fridge for several hours, until firmly set.

Now for the crumble. Heat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan)/375°F/gas 5. Line a small baking tray with greaseproof paper. Combine in a bowl the oats, flour, sugar, sesame seeds, salt, and cinnamon. Mix well to combine. Add 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 crisp and coloured. Remove from the oven, cool entirely, then break it up into rustic chunks.

Next, cook the bananas: place in a pot, warm the honey with two tablespoons of water. Stir in the banana slices and simmer until they are tender and the mixture becomes a bit sticky. Take off the stove and set aside to cool.

For assembly, top each panna cotta onto the chilled desserts. Add a generous topping of the tahini crumble and dig in.