Benjamina Ebuehi's Recipe for Yoghurt Panna Cotta with Tahini-Banana Topping
I firmly believe that the new year isn't complete without a tasty finale. During a month that can be grey skies, a small indulgence goes a long way. This isn't about anything overly rich, but something like this refreshing set custard hits the spot. With a casual look, it could easily pass for a special morning parfait.
Yoghurt Panna Cotta with Banana and Tahini Crumble
Prepare a generous amount of topping for this dessert. Keep the leftovers in an tightly-closed tub as a ready-made 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 small bowl of cold water. Leave them to soften for roughly 5 mins, until pliable. Next, pour off the water and gently squeeze out remaining moisture. Reserve for later.
Place in a pan, mix the whipping cream with the honey, vanilla paste, and salt. Cook on a low heat until hot taking care not to boil. Take the pan off the stove and add the prepared gelatine until it is completely dissolved. Then, mix in the Greek yoghurt thoroughly. Pour the mixture into individual ramekins and refrigerate for several hours, until solid.
While that chills, make the crumble. Set your oven to 190°C (170°C fan)/375°F/gas 5. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine in a bowl the oats, flour, sugar, sesame seeds, salt, and cinnamon. Mix well to combine. Pour in the melted butter and tahini, then combine well so everything is nicely mixed. Tip the blend onto the lined sheet and place in the oven for 18 to 22 minutes, until nicely browned. Remove from the oven, let it cool completely, then break into pieces into rustic chunks.
For the bananas: in a small pan, warm the honey with two tablespoons of water. Stir in the banana slices and cook until they soften slightly and the syrup thickens a bit sticky. Turn off the heat and set aside to cool.
To serve, spoon the warm bananas on top of the custards. Finish with the tahini crumble and enjoy straight away.