Sweet Overdose

I had a wonderful Valentine's surprise treat waiting for me when I made my lunchtime stop at the Scheurer Ambulance garage yesterday. A red and white bag containing a plastic bowl, with a delicious looking treat that made my teeth hurt at first glance.

As much as I'd like to be the Zwieback Pie scene
at the Esch House, it was swiped off another website.

 

My longtime friend Julie Quick, as nurse in the hospital's surgical unit, brought me a taste of Zwieback Pie she had made from scratch, probably like her grandmother did during Julie's childhood.

I think the gift was prompted by my "Samples Welcome!" comment to Julie's Facebook post around the Christmas holiday about the Zwieback Toast* and Zwieback Pie* recipes and her attempt to match grandma Wahl's bakery skills.

Can you die from a sweet overdose?

It just might kill someone like me: hypoglycemic and lactose-intolerant following gastric-bypass surgery. But I've learned how to enjoy these creamy and overly-sweet concoctions by eating small portions over a period of several days! I'm looking forward to this yumminess for days!

As Julie told me, "You gotta commit to making Zwieback Pie."

The commitment comes from the long process needed to get to the end product.

Loaves of Zwieback Bread are kneaded and baked, then sliced and toasted in the oven. Then the Zwieback Toast is crushed (like graham crack crumbs) to make the pie crust.  One Zwieback loaf toasted and crushed is enough for two pies.

Next comes the creamy-custardy filling: 2-1/4 cups sugar, 6 cups whole milk, 9 egg yokes... all very healthy! Of course if you use 9 egg yokes, you've got 9 egg whites as well... may as well top off this amazing treat with a nice meringue!

Zwieback Toast crust, custard filling topped with meringue... do you teeth hurt too?

Can you die from a sweet overdose? I don't know, but what a way to go!

The name Zweiback comes from German zwei ("two") or zwie ("twi-"), and backen, meaning "to bake". Zwieback hence literally translates to "twice-baked." 

*Recipe links may not be those used by Julie or Grandma Wahl.