Process for aerated confection

A continuous method for preparing an aerated confection, especially marshmallows, includes the steps of A. continuously forming a clear concentrated sugar syrup in a single vessel by continuously admixing to form a sugar syrup slurry; cooking the sugar syrup slurry with agitation and indirect heat to dissolve the solids, concentrating the sugar syrup by evaporating water as vapor and venting the vapor to form a concentrated clear syrup, wherein the residence time of the syrup within the vessel ranges from about 1 to 5 minutes; B. cooling the clear concentrated syrup without crystallization to form a cooled clear sugar syrup; C. admixing the clear cooled sugar syrup with about 1 to 30% of a foam structuring agent to form a liquid confection blend; D. seeding the liquid confection blend with dry sugar crystals to form a seeded liquid confection blend; E. aerating the seeded liquid confection blend to form an aerated confection plastic foam; F. extruding the aerated foam to form a plastic aerated confection extrudate rope; G. cooling the extrudate rope to solidify the confection to form a set aerated confection extudate rope; H. forming the set aerated confection extrudate rope into pieces; and, I. Drying the pieces to a moisture content of about 1 to 5% to form dried aerated confection pieces.