Apparatus and process for molding frozen ice confectionery compositions into articles

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods of preparing frozen confectionery articles methods for preparing a molded ice confectionery article by preparing a frozen ice confectionery composition including at least about 50 weight percent water in a solidifying environment and applying a pressure thereto to facilitate transport of the composition, continuously transporting or feeding the frozen ice confectionery composition at a sufficient temperature and pressure to transport it from the solidifying environment into a rotative distributor, delivering the pressurized frozen ice confectionery composition from the rotative distributor in substantially equal amounts to a plurality of paths, providing an amount of frozen ice confectionery composition sufficient to fill a mold on each path using a slidable nozzle, and discharging the sufficient amount of the frozen confectionery composition under a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure and under frozen conditions from the slidable nozzle into the mold to provide the molded ice confectionery article. The invention also relates to frozen confectionery articles having the smoother texture of extruded products and produced by the method.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for preparing a molded ice confectionery article comprising: 
 preparing a frozen ice confectionery composition comprising at least about 50 weight percent water in a solidifying environment and applying a pressure thereto to facilitate transport of the composition;    continuously transporting the frozen ice confectionery composition at a sufficient temperature and pressure from the solidifying environment into a rotative distributor;    delivering the pressurized frozen ice confectionery composition from the rotative distributor in substantially equal amounts to a plurality of paths;    providing an amount of frozen ice confectionery composition sufficient to fill a mold on each path using a slidable nozzle; and    discharging the sufficient amount of the frozen confectionery composition under a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure and under frozen conditions from the slidable nozzle into the mold by sliding the nozzle toward and away from the mold to provide a molded ice confectionery article in the mold.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pressure is sufficient to transport the composition from the solidifying environment into each mold at a pressure of about 1.5 to 2 bar when the composition is discharged into each mold and wherein the sufficient amount of frozen confectionery material provided is determined by a flow rate of the frozen confectionery material and a length of time the flow occurs.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the feeding of the composition into the rotative distributor is at a pressure of about 4 bar to 8 bar.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sufficient pressure is entirely provided by a freezer pump that also cools the frozen ice confectionery composition to a temperature of about −5° C. to −7° C.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the nozzles slide so that each descends into a mold at the start of filling and rises from the mold during filling, wherein the nozzle has an opening that is sufficiently narrow to allow the frozen confectionery material to be fluidified by shearing during filling.  
     
     
         6 . A method for preparing frozen ice confectionery articles comprising: 
 cooling confectionery material sufficiently to provide a frozen ice confectionery material;    transporting the frozen confectionery material to a rotative distributor that receives the frozen ice confectionery material from the freezer at a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure and distributes frozen material into portions; and    distributing the portions by sliding a nozzle towards and away from one mold of a plurality of molds, wherein each mold receives frozen ice confection material from the nozzle that discharges the same under a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure into the mold to provide a frozen confectionery article in a desired shape.    
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , which further comprises controlling the portions of frozen confectionery material is discharged from the nozzle while maintaining the frozen ice confectionery material at a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the confectionery material is cooled to a temperature of to about −5° C. to −7° C.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , which further comprises metering substantially the same amount of frozen confectionery material into each mold.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the nozzle is adapted and configured to deposit sufficient frozen confectionery material to result in an average of less than about 8 volume percent voids remaining in the molds.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 6 , which further comprises filling the molds with frozen confectionery material by descending the nozzle into the mold at the start of filling and raising the nozzle from the mold during filling, wherein the nozzle has an opening that is sufficiently narrow to allow the frozen confectionery material to be fluidified by shearing during filling.  
     
     
         12 . A molded ice confectionery product comprising from about 50 to 80 weight percent frozen water and at least one flavoring agent, wherein the frozen water comprises ice crystals having an average particle size diameter of less than 40 μm and wherein the product has less than about 3 volume percent air pockets.  
     
     
         13 . The molded ice confectionery product of  claim 12 , wherein the ice confectionery product comprises ice cream having a water content of about 55 weight percent to about 70 weight percent.  
     
     
         14 . The molded ice confectionery product of  claim 12 , wherein the ice confectionery product further comprises a layer of chocolate that surrounds substantially all of the ice confectionery product and the at least one flavoring agent.