Chestnut Chocolate Pots Not Setting

Our answer

Nigella's Chestnut Chocolate Pots (from Christmas and on the Nigella website) are made with a melted chocolate and cream mixture that is mixed with sweetened chestnut puree (sometimes called chestnut spread). The mixture will be a little runny when warm, but will become firmer as it chills, as both the chestnut puree and chocolate will set as they become cold.

The chilling time for the pots will vary according to how cold your fridge is and how warm the mixture is when it goes into the fridge. After 3 hours it is likely that the mixture is still slightly warm and has not yet chilled enough to set. Nigella's recipe suggests a chilling time of at least 4 hours but generally an overnight chilling is preferable for these types of mixtures.

The Chestnut Chocolate Pots can also be frozen, as long as the mixture is put into freezer-proof dishes. Normally it would be thawed overnight in the refrigerator before serving. However, if you are worried about the consistency then you could try serving the pots "iced" - taking them from the freezer about 30 minutes before serving, so that they soften slightly.