A frozen product, upright-style vending machine having a pick and place mechanism moveable in three dimensions (X, Y, Z) with a fourth, rotational, degree of freedom (W) effected using the Z axis drive. The mechanism moves along tracks in the X-Y directions and is permitted full range of motion by an extension hose. Frozen products are arranged in a container within the vending machine freezer, the container acting as a virtual cold-wall freezer trapping cold air. The pick and place mechanism po...

A process and apparatus for preparing a frozen ice confection comprising a frozen composition incorporating inclusions in a desired distribution by combining a flow of frozen composition with one or more flows comprising inclusions, in such a way that the flows comprising inclusions are introduced discontinuously at a multiplicity of positions in the cross-section of flow of frozen composition, and extruding the resulting combined flow without first subjecting the combined flow to any active ble...

A frozen confection dispensing machine for dispensing a predetermined volume of a frozen confection. In one embodiment, the machine includes a user interface and programmable control circuit to allow an operator to select the volume of extruded frozen confection for a particular product. In another embodiment, the machine includes a readily accessible hollow member to supply the machine with additional mix without interrupting extrusion of the frozen confection. In another embodiment, a pluralit...

An edible novelty including an edible core mounted on a stick at one end of the core. The core having another end opposite the one end and the core having an edible coverture layer. A layer of an edible viscous material covering the coverture layer of the core from the other end of the core to, at the most, adjacent the one end of the core. The material being viscous at ambient temperature and remaining substantially unfrozen at a temperature which maintains the core frozen and also at a tempera...

A frozen dessert dispenser includes a heat-insulating box, a cooling unit for cooling an atmosphere in the heat-insulating box, a dispensing cylinder including a piston ascended and descended by an operating fluid and a pack accommodating chamber in which a frozen dessert pack is accommodated, a pump supplying and discharging the operating fluid to and from a pressure chamber defined in the dispensing cylinder, and a usually closed operating fluid introducing port disposed in the cylinder. The o...

A process for the preparation of a coated frozen confectionery product whereby an aqueous solution in the supercooled state is caused to freeze while applied on at least part of the surface of a pre-frozen element of the product.

The disclosed method for making a milkshake or smoothie includes the steps of providing a cup containing a block of ingredients, grinding the block, and adding a liquid heated to at least approximately 100.degree. F. The ingredients in the cup are provided in the form of a block frozen to substantially conform to the interior of the cup. In one embodiment, the method includes the step of whipping to incorporate air into a mixture of the heated liquid and the ground frozen substance in the cup. I...

A fudge sauce which is flowable at freezer temperatures and a ready-to-eat dessert including it are provided. The fudge sauce comprises water, a mixture of saccharides to control the freezing point with balanced sweetness, a starch effective to build viscosity at freezer temperatures, a fat component to provide a desirable mouthfeel and a hydrophilic colloid to stabilize the viscosity. Desirably, the fudge sauce exhibits a relatively stable viscosity within the range of normal serving temperatur...

The present invention is a frozen drink machine and a method for making frozen drinks from a frozen substance which has been frozen into a block. According to the method of the present invention, a block of frozen substance is held in a vessel while a rotatable blade having features for grinding the frozen substance, and if desirable, for aerating the ground frozen substance, acts on the block, grinding the frozen substance while a heated liquid is simultaneously introduced into the vessel. An a...

A process and apparatus is disclosed for the preparation of individual quick frozen bars, to be united to form a frozen precursor (the product of the invention) for the preparation of a frozen dessert and more particularly a masticated banana frozen dessert. Uniform flavor is achieved by control of the size and number of the respective individual bars to be laminated together. Uniform portion control in the machine that prepares the frozen dessert is achieved by the use of similar sized segments...