Peanut Butter Madness!

One of my oldest and most crowd pleasing recipes is what we refer to as the 'atom bomb.'  This sweet concoction is composed of Peanut Butter Cap'n Crunch, marshmallows, peanut butter, and M&M's.  It's quite a treat.

The first time I tried it is when Valerie worked as a teller.  One of her co-workers made it and I got to try a piece.  It was so good I asked her for the recipe on the spot and she was nice enough to give it to me.  I asked the co-worker what it was called, and she told me that her family called it an 'atom bomb', so the name stuck. Here's the recipe for all you peanut butter-marshmallow-chocolate lovers out there.

Atom Bomb
Printable Recipe

2 oz. butter
1 lb. of marshmallows
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 14 oz. box of Peanut Butter Cap'n Crunch
2 cups M&M's (frozen)

Melt the butter over low heat in a large saucepan.  Once the butter is completely melted, add the marshmallows and stir constantly until completely melted.  To the melted marshmallows add the peanut butter and stir until combined, then add the vanilla extract and salt.  Remove mixture from the heat and add the Peanut Butter Cap'n Crunch and gently stir to combine.  Pour mixture onto a buttered sheet pan and add frozen M&M's.  Using your hands or some buttered wax paper, fold the M&M's into the cereal mixture and press into the pan.  Let cool before serving.

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There are several ways to serve this tasty treat.  For a more sophisticated appearance it can be cut into squares.  For a more primitive approach, the whole thing could be left as a mound of peanut buttery goodness, and potential eaters could tear off chunks of it as they wish.  I personally prefer the 'mound' approach, but for more formal affairs, I cut it into squares.  It may not be one of my more nutritious recipes, but it sure does taste good!

One side note, I've never really been a fan of the name 'atom bomb.'  I've looked for variations of the recipe in the internet to see what others call it, and most people name it something like 'Peanut Butter Cap'n Crunch Treats.'  That's a little too boring and mundane for me.  I've been trying to come up with a new fun name, but the perfect label escapes me.  'Peanut Butter Blast' is my best attempt.  I like it, but I think it could be better.  If anyone has any name suggestions, I'd love to hear them!  I know a lot of you are much better with words than I am.