As week three of my year-long chef course dawns, I’m reminded of how little I know – especially the theory. That’s the beauty of food, there’s always something to learn and a different way of doing it.

While chopping veges for two days isn’t everyone’s idea of fun, it’s a huge learning curve for me. While I’ve been chopping vegetables for longer than most of my classmates have been alive, I’ve been doing it badly for all of those years. I have habits of a lifetime to change, the rest of the class will learn the right way from the get go. I also have a sliced fingertip for my troubles – it can only get better!

The first few weeks are all about the basics – learning the fundamentals of chopping, soups and stocks. Classic methods that many chefs no longer use – but handy to know for the big picture. Although, I’m still wondering why we learnt a tomato soup that doesn’t contain tomatoes!

While we aren’t working at Master Chef pace just yet, the days are gradually becoming busier. I think the key is going to be good multi-tasking and having a compatible bench buddy. And, being the granny of the class, I’m sure I’ll pick up more than cooking skills along the way.

Given I’m going back to beginning in class, it seems apt that today’s recipe is a blast from the past. A happy childhood memory, perfect for a kid’s party treat. And, easy to whip up. Not so easy to keep from prying fingers though, so best you keep them hidden until you need them.

What you’ll need

130g (about 5 C) rice bubbles

50g butter

160g (about 2 C) marshmallows

Optional: handful cranberries, sprinkles etc

How to make them

Lightly grease a 17 x 27cm baking tin (I use spray oil). Measure the rice bubbles into a bowl.

Pop the butter into a medium/large sized saucepan over low heat.

As the butter begins to melt, add the marshmallows and stir to melt. Remove from the heat just before the marshmallows fully melt, and stir.

Then pour the rice bubbles into liquid in two measures – mixing to coat the rice bubbles between each addition. If using cranberries or sprinkles, put them in now too and give it all a good mix.

Pour the combined mixture into the prepared tin.

Or, you can use paper muffin cases – put them into muffin tins first, then spoon in the rice bubble mixture.

Put the tin (or muffin tins) into the fridge to set. If using a tin, after a couple of hours, cut the slice in to similar sized pieces. Either way, store the slice in an airtight container in the fridge until required.

These will be a hit – both with the kids and the husband!