Method and apparatus for manufacturing decorated ice cream confectionery items

A method of manufacturing an ice cream dessert, which comprises:

• depositing an ice cream dessert that has a built-in ice cream confectionery decoration by extrusion from first and second moving extrusion nozzles located one above the other, connected to each other by a joint and placed above a moving support, the first nozzle comprising a flattened end-piece with a slot-shaped outlet that is substantially parallel to the moving support, the second nozzle comprising a flattened end-piece with a slot-shaped outlet that is substantially perpendicular to the moving support;
• continuously extruding onto the moving support the ice cream composition in the form of two or more ribbons at a temperature of below −6° C. at the first and second extrusion nozzles;
• securing the first nozzle to an oscillating support and securing the second nozzle to the oscillating support in order to provide to the first and second nozzles an oscillating movement transversal to the moving support;
• arranging the second nozzle at an incline with respect to the first nozzle;
• controlling the extrusion of the ice cream composition at a speed that is greater than that of the moving support;
• and
• controlling the first and second nozzles and moving support to have respective movements such that the ribbons are deposited under gravity and have the shape of a gathered frill folded over on itself, with the folds running alternately in one direction and then in the opposite direction to define at least a portion of the built-in ice cream confectionery decoration.