Vanilla Gelato Bites with Chocolate and Hazelnuts

Prep Time: 1 hr
Level: Easy
Yield: 16 servings

Ingredients

* 1 pint vanilla gelato or ice cream
* 1 (12-ounce) bag chocolate chips (about 2 cups)
* 1 cup finely chopped toasted hazelnuts (about 5 ounces)

Directions

Special equipment: bite-sized ice cream scoop and wooden popsticks

Place a small tray or a plate in the freezer. Remove the gelato from
the freezer to soften, about 5 minutes. Remove the chilled tray from
the freezer. Scoop out 16 bite-sized balls of gelato and place in the
freezer for at least 1 hour. Remove from the freezer and quickly
insert a wooden popstick into each gelato ball. Return them to the
freezer for at least 1 hour.

When the gelato balls have frozen with their sticks in place, place
the chocolate in a double-boiler over very gently simmering water
until melted. Next to the pot of chocolate, place the toasted, chopped
hazelnuts in a shallow bowl.

Remove the gelato balls from the freezer, 4 at a time. Working
quickly, hold the gelato ball by the stick and dip into the melted
chocolate, then dredge it in the hazelnuts. Return them to the freezer
and continue with 4 more gelato balls, until all the gelato balls are
covered in chocolate and nuts. Freeze the chocolate-and-nut-covered
gelato for at least 1 hour.

These are very fun, festive, and tasty. The ice cream scoop I used is
a number 40 (holds 1 tablespoon, is 1 1/2 inches in diameter.)

From: foodnetwork.com

Gelato Cooler

Cook Time: 15 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

* 2 cups Chocolate-Hazelnut Gelato, recipe follows
* 1/2 cup coffee-flavored liqueur (recommended: Kahlua), or coffee
* 4 cups crushed ice
* 1/4 cup chopped chocolate-covered coffee beans, plus more for
garnish, optional

Directions

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.
Pour into glasses, sprinkle with chocolate covered coffee beans, and
serve with a straw.
Chocolate-Hazelnut Gelato:

2 cups whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup sugar, plus 1/4 cup

4 egg yolks

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread (recommended: Nutella)

1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts, crushed, for garnish

In a saucepan combine the milk, cream, and 1/2 cup sugar over medium
heat. Cook until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl whip the egg yolks with the remaining
sugar using an electric mixer until the eggs have become thick and
pale yellow, about 4 minutes. Pour 1/2 cup of the warm milk and cream
mixture into the egg mixture and stir. Add this mixture back into the
saucepan. Cook over very low heat, stirring constantly, until the
mixture becomes thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about
7 to 10 minutes.

Place a strainer over a medium bowl and pour the warm custard mixture
through the strainer. Stir in the vanilla and hazelnut spread until it
dissolves. Chill mixture completely before pouring into an ice cream
maker and follow manufacturer's instructions to freeze. To serve,
scoop gelato into serving bowls and top with hazelnuts.

Yield: about 4 cups gelato