Chocolate Chestnut Puddings with Dates – Easy and Festive

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This post is also a joint tribute to my friends Meeta and Jamie who visited last month.

Meeta likes a good pot-de-creme and Jamie gave me this glorious vanilla chestnut puree. So I put my two friends together and came up with something wonderful.

My tripod came in useful this afternoon, would you believe I took these pictures at 3pm in December with barely any light. Some of the exposures were over a second long.

You’ll hear more about these Jamie Oliver knives later this week too…

Inspiration for Chocolate Chestnut Puddings With Dates

Today’s recipe is based on Chocolate Chestnut Pots from Nigella Christmas which is in itself an adaptation of an earlier simple chocolate pot recipe from Nigella Express.

Beyond heating cream and blitzing chocolate in the food processor (which is strangely good fun), there’s not a lot to do other than pour it into the glasses and lick the spoon afterwards.

Linking up Chocolate Chestnut Puddings

I am so pleased with these simple desserts that I am sending them everywhere.

Back in the UK, I am also sharing this with Choclogblog and The Chocolate Teapot‘s monthly event We Should Cocoa. The ingredient being paired with chocolate this month is dates. Hence the addition of dates tumbled into the bottom of these choccie puddings.

…and dare I say it, I’m also cheekily using this as an opportunity to remind you about my new blogging event Forever Nigella .

Print Recipe

Chocolate Chestnut Puddings with Dates

Super easy chocolate pots dessert melting chocolate and cream with dates. Adapted from a dessert recipe in Nigella Christmas.

Course: Dessert, pudding

Cuisine: British

Keyword: chocolate pudding

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 175 g milk chocolate
• 125 ml double cream
• 125 ml milk
• 1 egg
• 250 g canned sweetened vanilla chestnut puree (or plain sweetened will do)
• 30 ml dark rum
• 18-20 dates pitted and roughly chopped
• 3 mini meringues (or amaretti biscuits) crumbled for decoration - optional

Instructions

• Blitz the chocolate in the food processor and remove the lid.
• Warm the milk and cream in a small saucepan. As it nearly reaches the boil, pour in the processor on top of the chocolate crumbs.
• Allow to stand for 30 seconds then replace the lid and blitz for another 30 seconds. Then crack the egg down the funnel and blitz for another 45 seconds.
• Remove the lid and add the chestnut puree and rum. Replacing the lid, pulse until combined.
• Tumble the chopped dates into 6 verrine glasses or small pots.
• Remove the processor blade and pour the batter into a jug before decanting carefully into your pots. Sprinkle over the crumbled meringues or amaretti if using.
• Chill for at least one hour before serving.

Notes

Nigella says you can freeze these puddings for up to one week if you put them in ceramic pots and cover. Defrost them overnight in the fridge if you do this.