The filled wafers (‘ostie ripiene’) are a typical sweet of Monte Sant’Angelo, a small town in Gargano are, in northern Puglia. It is a dessert consisting of low fat ingredients and energy (almonds and honey) and the sacramental bread. The wafers are thin and crispy and you can find them in the grocery stores or in the bakeries.
Their story is really curious. It is said that one day, in the kitchens of the Monastery of Trinity (Monastero della Trinità) di Santa Chiara in Monte Sant’Angelo, while some nuns were preparing the dough for the ‘hostia’, some almonds fell into a bowl of honey just cooked. A nun immediately tried to remove the almonds using two wafers. The almonds were attached to the wafers. Here is the recipe of this delicious dessert.
Ingredients for 10 wafers
10 wafers
300 grams of almonds, toasted in the oven
250 grams of honey from Gargano
50 grams of sugar
In a pan put the almonds, stir for a few seconds. Add honey and sugar. Stir often with a wooden spoon. Continue cooking on low heat for about 30 minutes. Stir often because the mixture tends to stick easily on the bottom and on the edges of the pan.
Remove from heat when your mixture becomes a sort of a caramel. Stir and let stand a few minutes.
Spread a spoonful of the prepared mixture of 5 wafers. Cover with the other 5 hosts and put above a tablet of wood with weights. Let cool.
