Benjamina Ebuehi’s recipe for yoghurt panna cotta with banana and tahini crumble | The sweet spot

A picture


I’m of the opinion that we still need dessert in January.In a month that’s typically grey, dreary and ridiculously long, it’s the little things that spark joy.Granted, I’m not necessarily reaching for anything too rich or heavy, but when I’m craving a bit of sweetness, the likes of this yoghurt panna cotta really hit the spot.If you squint, it could easily be mistaken for a fun breakfast pot.The crumble will make more than you need for this, so save the leftovers in an airtight container for a handy crunchy snack.

Prep 5 min Chill 2 hr+ Cook 50 minMakes 4For the panna cotta2 gelatine sheets 300g whipping cream 60g honey 1 tsp vanilla bean paste Pinch of salt 300g Greek yoghurtFor the tahini crumble80g jumbo oats 50g plain flour 40g light brown sugar 2 tbsp sesame seeds Pinch flaky sea salt ¼ tsp ground cinnamon 50g unsalted butter, melted30g tahini 2½ tbsp honey 2 small bananas, slicedPut the gelatine in a small bowl of cold water, leave to soak for five minutes, until softened, then drain, squeeze out any excess water and set aside.Put the cream, honey, vanilla and salt in a small pan and heat gently until hot, but not boiling.Off the heat, stir in the squeezed gelatine until completely dissolved.Whisk in the yoghurt, then pour the mixture into four small glasses or ramekins, and chill in the fridge for a couple of hours, until set.Meanwhile, make the crumble.

Heat the oven to 190C (170C fan)/375F/gas 5 and line a small baking tray with greaseproof paper.Put the oats, flour, sugar, sesame seeds, salt and cinnamon in a bowl and mix to combine.Stir in the melted butter and tahini, then mix well to coat.Pour on to the lined tray, then bake for 18-22 minutes, until well browned.Remove, leave to cool completely, then break up the crumble into rough pieces.

Put the honey and two tablespoons of water in a small pan and heat gently.Add the sliced bananas, cook until they soften a little and the liquid turns syrupy, then take off the heat and leave to cool a little.Spoon the warm bananas on top of the panna cottas, top with some of the tahini crumble and serve.
cultureSee all
A picture

From Song Sung Blue to Theatre Picasso: your complete entertainment guide to the week ahead

Song Sung BlueOut now In 2008, an inspirational documentary about Neil Diamond tribute band Lightning & Thunder warmed hearts with its unconventional love story about Mike and Claire Sardina. Now it’s been adapted into this drama, with all Neil Diamond songs present and correct, and Kate Hudson and Hugh Jackman in the lead roles.Peter Hujar’s DayOut nowBen Whishaw stars as the photographer and artist-activist of New York’s gay liberation movement, who photographed figures such as Susan Sontag, Fran Lebowitz and John Waters. Set over the course of one day in 1974, this is an adaptation of the book by Linda Rosenkrantz, played here by Rebecca Hall.Menus-Plaisirs: Les TroisgrosOut nowFrederick Wiseman, the godfather of durational documentary, is back with a four-hour epic, observing a Michelin-starred family restaurant in rural France

A picture

Forget Keanu: Ulster Scots translation of Beckett classic takes on spate of celebrity Godots

Beneath a stark steel tree in a bleak upland bog, a literary masterpiece is set to assume a different linguistic mantle.Samuel Beckett’s enigmatic tragicomedy Waiting for Godot will make its world premiere in Ulster Scots, a moment described as a “coming of age” for the minority language, and the antithesis of the trend for celebrity Godots.On Good Friday, after an uphill trek of about 3km, the audience will arrive at a spot in the vast volcanic Antrim Plateau in Northern Ireland, if not footsore then certainly empathic to the physical discomfort of Estragon struggling to remove his ill-fitting boots.The “existential landscape of heath, moss and bog” in County Antrim lends itself to a script “peppered with exterior references”, said Seán Doran, of festival organiser Arts over Borders, which is staging the production as part of a major new arts festival, the Samuel Beckett Biennale.But while there have been previous outdoor productions, it will be the “forceful pronunciation and sound” of delivering it in Ulster Scots, or Ullans, for the first time and in a region where the language is spoken, that will “bring a whole new total register” and change the whole performative aspect of the play, said Doran

A picture

Demon Slayer economics: how the anime juggernaut became a saviour

An animated drama featuring hordes of carnivorous fiends might not sound like classic box office fodder, but that’s exactly what Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle proved to be in September.The film set new records for anime – Japanese animated films and series – making more than $70m (£52m) on its opening weekend in the US and £535m so far globally. To put that in context, Ghost in the Shell – an anime classic released in 1995 – made about £2m worldwide.In that 30-year period, anime has gone from an underground phenomenon to a saviour during one of the worst autumn box office slumps in recent memory. So how did we get here?Mitchel Berger, an executive vice-president and the head of theatrical at Crunchyroll – the specialist anime streaming service – was pleasantly surprised by the Demon Slayer mania

A picture

The year of the self-mocking man sketch: ‘Dumb masculinity is very funny’

“I’m gonna miss toxic masculinity,” says the comedian Kiry Shabazz. “I feel like it’s going to be in a museum someday.”In the ensuing standup routine, Shabazz describes a fight with a friend who, like him, is “doing the work” to be a better person. He called the friend several unprintable names while acknowledging: “I’m only calling you that because culturally that’s how I know how to express myself.” The friend’s reply to the torrent of insults: “I hear you and I receive that

A picture

‘An Arab in a post-9/11 world’: Khalid Abdalla’s one-man play about belonging comes to Australia

When British-Egyptian actor Khalid Abdalla farewelled the hit series The Crown and his character, Dodi Fayed, he knew he was saying goodbye to a role with a depth and significance well beyond merely a love interest for Princess Diana.“Dodi is one of the first Arab characters I can think of in the history of [western] film that you get to know and love, not fear,” says Abdalla, seated in his London home two years after the series ended. “And so, when he dies, you mourn him.”Glasgow-born Abdalla, 45, whose father and grandfather were leftist political dissidents in Egypt, well understood the cultural significance of fleshing out the character of Alexandria-born Fayed beyond the playboy of legend.He was also acutely aware of the political moment in which his portrayal was being presented

A picture

Tension on the streets, the mushroom trial circus and a devastating terrorist attack – looking back on Australia’s turbulent 2025

Fires, floods, murders, a missing child and a massacre – 2025 in Australia brought some of the very worst news.Threaded through the year were themes that persisted from 2024 and will carry on into 2026 – the cost of living, interest rates, immigration debates, the housing crisis, global instability, AI and Aukus.And, of course, the effects of the climate crisis, the battle against it, and the battle against the battle against it.But the year also brought twisty tales, uniquely Australian moments and events that will change the nation for ever.A range of charges were brought under the Australian federal police’s special operation Avalite, targeting antisemitic behaviour