Why Don't My Chestnut Chocolate Pots Set Properly?

Our answer

NIgella's Chestnut Chocolate Pots (from NIGELLA CHRISTMAS are small pots of a rich chocolate and chestnut cream. The texture should be softly set but not liquid as the chestnut purée should be quite thick and the egg and chocolate should also help the pots to set.

Sweetened chestnut purée is also sometimes labelled as chestnut cream or crème de marrons. It is a fairly thick paste and is usually pipeable as it is often used for desserts such as Mont Blanc. If you are making your own purée then make sure that you don't blend the chestnuts with too much liquid. Also, try to use dark or bittersweet chocolate with 70% cocoa solids. The cocoa solids give a good flavour but also help the pots to set. Finally, make sure that the mixture doesn't cool too much before the egg is added as you need some warmth to help the egg to thicken the mixture.