Process for making articles of ice confectionery

A process for preparing a frozen article from an ice confectionery composition comprising the steps of:

• placing a metal countermold body which confines a cavity together with a metal master mold which confines another cavity, wherein the countermold body has (i) an outer side which extends in a frustoconical shape to define a first end which surrounds an opening and to define a second end having a diameter greater than the diameter of the first end, (ii) a surface which extends and is recessed from the first end to define, together with the first end opening, the countermold body cavity and (iii) a second opening which extends from the second end through the countermold body into the countermold body cavity for passing an ice confectionery composition therethrough and wherein the master mold has a wall surface which defines the master mold cavity and has a frustoconically-shaped surface portion for placing the first end of the countermold body and for contacting the outer side of the countermold body, and wherein the first end of the countermold body is placed into the master mold so that the countermold body and the master mold form a mold assembly cavity;
• introducing a composition for forming an ice confectionery article into the mold assembly cavity via the countermold body second opening;
• cooling the mold assembly to cool the composition to form a frozen article;
• heating the countermold body to release the countermold body from the frozen article and removing the countermold body from the frozen article and master mold;
• heating the master mold to release the frozen article from the master mold;
• demolding the frozen article from the master mold;
• and
• washing the countermold body and the master mold.