Benjamina Ebuehi's Creation for Creamy Yoghurt Custard with Tahini-Banana Topping

My stance is that the first month isn't complete without a delightful dessert. At a time typically filled with grey skies, a little sweetness goes a long way. Granted, I'm not after decadent, heavy desserts, but something like this creamy yoghurt-based dessert fits the bill perfectly. If you glance quickly, it might be mistaken for a special morning parfait.

Creamy Yoghurt Custard with Banana and Tahini Crumble

You'll have extra crumble mixture for four servings. Store the remainder in an airtight container for a handy crunchy snack 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

Begin by putting the gelatine sheets in a small bowl of cold water. Leave them to soften for roughly 5 mins, until pliable. Afterwards, discard the water and remove remaining moisture. Put them to one side.

In a small saucepan, combine the cream with the honey, vanilla paste, and salt. Cook on a low heat until hot taking care not to boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the prepared gelatine until it is totally melted. Incorporate the Greek yoghurt thoroughly. Divide the custard into serving pots and chill in the fridge for a couple of hours, until solid.

Meanwhile, prepare the crumble. Set your oven to 190°C (170°C fan)/375°F/gas 5. Line a small baking 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 combine well so everything is nicely mixed. Tip the blend 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 rough bits.

To prepare the bananas: place in a pot, warm the honey with two tablespoons of water. Add the sliced bananas and simmer until they begin to soften and the mixture becomes like a glaze. Take off the stove and set aside to cool.

To serve, spoon the warm bananas on top of the custards. Sprinkle over the tahini crumble and enjoy straight away.