Vanilla Gelato with Chocolate and Nuts

Ingredients:

• 2 cups vanilla gelato or ice cream
• 1 bag (340 g) chocolate granules (about 2 tbsp.)
• 1 cup finely chopped toasted hazelnuts (about 150 g)
• Special equipment: ice cream scoop #40 (capacity 1 tbsp, diameter 4 cm); wooden ice cream sticks

Preparation:

1. Place a small tray or plate in the freezer. Remove the ice cream from the freezer to soften, about 5 minutes. Remove the chilled tray from the freezer.
2. Form 16 bite-sized ice cream balls and freeze for at least 1 hour. Remove from the freezer and quickly insert a wooden skewer into each ice cream ball. Return to the freezer for at least 1 hour.
3. Once the ice cream balls have set, melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Place a shallow bowl of chopped hazelnuts next to it.
4. Remove the ice cream balls from the freezer, four at a time. Working quickly, hold each ball by the handle and dip it in the melted chocolate, then roll it in the nuts. Return the ice cream to the freezer and coat the remaining balls in the same manner. Freeze the coated ice cream for at least another hour.