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My stance is that the first month calls for a delightful dessert. During a month typically filled with gloomy days, a small indulgence goes a long way. This isn't about dense confections, but a dessert such as this light yoghurt panna cotta fits the bill perfectly. At first sight, it resembles a special morning parfait.

Yoghurt Panna Cotta with Tahini-Oat Topping

Prepare more crumble than needed for this dessert. Store the remainder in an airtight container for a handy crunchy snack 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 ramekin of chilled water. Let them sit for about five minutes, until softened. Next, pour off the water and remove remaining moisture. Set them aside.

Place in a pan, add the cream with the honey, vanilla paste, and salt. Warm over a low flame until steaming but not boiling. Turn off the heat and whisk in the squeezed gelatine until it is completely dissolved. Incorporate the Greek yoghurt until smooth. Pour the mixture into four small glasses and place in the refrigerator for several hours, until completely set.

Now for the crumble. Heat the 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. Add the melted butter and tahini, then combine well so everything is evenly coated. Spread the mixture onto the baking tray and bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until nicely browned. Remove from the oven, allow to cool fully, then break it up into irregular pieces.

To prepare the bananas: place in a pot, gently heat the honey with two tablespoons of water. Put in the bananas and simmer until they soften slightly and the syrup thickens a bit sticky. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

To serve, top each panna cotta onto the chilled desserts. Sprinkle over the tahini crumble and dig in.