Crunchy yet tender, sweet and high in calories, there's a peculiar Italian snack which is sandwiched between two pieces of Christian communion wafers. The ostie piene, or "filled hosts" -- a mouthwatering mix of almonds and honey stuffed between two wafers -- are one of Italy's most delicious cookies.

And they could also be one of its most sacrilegious if not for the fact that the two translucently thin wafers intended to tantalize tastebuds with their sublime filling have not, of course, been consecrated by a priest. Called ostie ckiene in local dialect, they're the traditional sugary treat of Monte Sant'Angelo, a village in Puglia's pristine Gargano National Park.