Solid Chocolate Mousse

Our answer

Nigella's Instant Chocolate Mousse (from NIGELLA EXPRESS) is made by melting together marshmallows, water, chocolate and butter and then adding whipped cream. If the mixture has turned solid, we suspect that the chocolate was overheated during the melting stage. This can cause the chocolate to become stiff when the cold whipped cream is folded in and will affect the texture of the mousse.

If warm water has softened the mixture then this may help or you can try adding some extra melted butter to help to keep the texture of the mousse smooth, though this will depend on how badly the chocolate was overheated. If the mixture turns solid again then you could use it as a chocolate sauce for ice creams and sundaes. You would need to warm the mixture slightly before using it, in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of hot water or using short bursts in a microwave and stirring in between each burst. We suspect that the mixture could be frozen if you wanted to use it for sauce at a later date. Transfer it to a resealable container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and warm gently before using as a sauce.