Sunday, October 23, 2011

Driscoll's Berries Giveaway and Review



Who's busy making Halloween goodies? I sure was today, I made the Driscoll's Mixed Berry Halloween Graveyard Cake. It’s perfect for entertaining a crowd and the combination of the chocolate with the naturally sweet berries makes this a crowd pleaser for kids and adults alike.

Driscoll's is a family owned and operated business for over 100 years specializing in strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries.

Be sure to check out their recipe selections for your upcoming Holiday events. You can follow along with Driscoll's on Twitter and Facebook. For a store near you check their list.

one little ghost fell in the dirt

So I made this cake a little different. I could not find any fresh blueberries, so raspberries and strawberries it was. Only 1 of the 3 stores I shop at had Driscoll's, well some Driscoll's. I also used a gluten free yellow cake mix, strawberry & raspberry preserves for the filling, easy chocolate frosting and crushed oreos for the dirt. I left the back corner free from any gluten products (cookies) for myself. I had a heck of a time dipping the strawberries, so I kind if painted the chocolate on and piped on little faces. I also propped the strawberrie ghosts up with toothpicks so they'd stay. The kids loved the decorations, but was not keen on the cake flavor itself, lol. We loved the berries though, wish I had dipped more.




Mixed Berry Halloween Graveyard Cake
Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes Servings: 12

Strawberries, raspberries and blueberries combine to make a boo-tiful and delectable chocolate berry cake perfect for any Halloween celebration. Pureed blueberries are added to the chocolate cake batter and a sweet strawberry-raspberry jam fills the middle. Impress everyone with this clever and tasty treat.
Strawberry Ghosts and Tombstones

1 cup white candy melts
2 Tbsp. vegetable shortening
1 pkg. (16 ounces) Driscoll's Strawberries
2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted

Assorted Halloween sprinkles, such as Jumbo Ghost Sprinkles
3 Milano cookies
6 cream filled chocolate cookies, such as Oreo's

Graveyard Cake
1 pkg. (6 ounces or 1 1/4 cups) Driscoll's Blueberries
3/4 cup water
1 pkg. (18.25 ounces) devil food cake mix
1/3 cup oil
3 large eggs

Raspberry Strawberry Filling
1 pkg. (6 ounces or 1 1/3 cups) Driscoll's Raspberries
1 1/2 cup coarsely chopped Driscoll's Strawberries
1/3 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. cornstarch

Chocolate Ganache Whipped Frosting
2 cup heavy cream
12 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 pkg. (6 ounces or 1 1/4 cups) Driscoll's Blueberries for garnish
1 pkg. (6 ounces or 1 1/3 cups) Driscoll's Raspberies for garnish

Instructions
Strawberry Ghosts and Tombstones
Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Combine candy melts and shortening in large microwave safe bowl. Microwave on 50% power for 30 seconds. Stir thoroughly. Continue to microwave and stir at 30 seconds intervals until smooth and completely melted.
Dip strawberries into candy melt to coat completely, let excess drip off. Carefully place stem side down onto prepared cookie sheet. Let stand at room temperature or store in refrigerator 30 minutes or until coating is firm.
Spoon melted chocolate into a pastry bag fitted with Wilton tip # 3. Using melted chocolate place dots of chocolate as glue and arrange ghost sprinkles for eyes. Pipe on eyebrows and mouth, let stand until firm.
Arrange cookies on tray. Pipe saying onto each cookie.
Let stand at room temperature until coating is firm. In food processor blend cookies until fine crumbs, set aside.

Graveyard Cake
Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and flour 2 (9-inch) square baking pans. Place 1 cup blueberries and water in bowl of a food processor. Puree 1 minute or until smooth.
Blend cake mix, blueberry mixture, oil and eggs with an electric mixer in large bowl on low speed just until moistened. Scrape sides of bowl.
Beat at medium speed 2 minutes. Stir in remaining blueberries. Divide batter evenly into prepared pans.
Bake 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely.

Raspberry Strawberry Filling
Combine raspberries and 1 cup coarsely chopped strawberries in food processor. Puree 1 minute or until smooth.
Press through a sieve to remove seeds. Whisk sugar, cornstarch and berry puree in small saucepan until blended.
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly and boil 1 minute.
Remove from heat stir in ½ cup chopped strawberries; set aside. Cool completely.

Chocolate Ganache Whipped Frosting
Bring heavy cream to a boil over medium-high heat in medium saucepan. Whisk in chocolate. Whisk constantly until the chocolate is completely melted.
Pour chocolate into a bowl, cover surface with plastic wrap, chill 2 hours.
Beat chilled chocolate with an electric mixer on low to medium speed 30 seconds or just until mixture is thickened and begins to hold a shape. Do not overbeat.

To Assemble
Place one cake layer on serving plate. Spread raspberry strawberry filling to ½ inch from edge. Top with second cake layer.
Frost sides and top with ganache whipped frosting. Arrange blueberries around top edge of cake and raspberries around bottom edge of cake.
Sprinkle center top with cookie crumbs. Arrange strawberry ghosts and press cookies into cake, for tombstones.

Recipe courtesy of Driscoll’s, above Photograph courtesy of Driscoll’s. Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
my gluten free corner piece

Boo

  


.
TWO "Mommy? I'm Hungry!" fans will each win $20 in Driscoll's coupons.




 
(This is a must before any extra entries will be accepted!)
* Become a MIH Blog Follower with Google Friend Connect (see side bar) and let me know what your favorite berries are.

Earn extra entries by showing some "Mommy? I'm Hungry!" bloggie .
- Please leave 1 separate comment for each entry.
.
* Subscribe to MIH in RSS/email feed
.
* Follow me on Twitter @MommyImHungry, leave your twitter name (tweet HI and I'll follow back)
.
* Tweet once daily about this giveaway using my Tweet buttons or use:
WOW! Check out this great $20 Driscoll's Giveaway, 2 winners! http://tinyurl.com/4yjd3dq @MommyImHungry #driscollsberry 
(comment here w/your daily link)
.
* Become a MIH Facebook Fan, and say a Hello on my fan page
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* Follow along with my MIH recipe blog if you're hungry
.

This Giveaway ends: 11:59 pm PT, Monday, November 7, 2011.
- Open to Continental USA
- Please read my giveaway rules HERE
Be sure to check out my other giveaways too.


*Disclosure* I wrote this review for "Mommy? I'm Hungry!" about Driscoll's. The product(s) in this review were provided to me in $1 off coupons for the purpose of conducting my review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and are not influenced by monetary compensation. Product info & stock images provided by PR or Co.

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176 Lovely Comments:

Jeannette said...

i am a mih blog follower on gfc.

i LOOOOVE raspberries, they are my favorite but i pretty much love everything that ends in -berry :)

jpinnick86 at gmail dot com

Jeannette said...

i follow you on twitter as whmsicalcupcake

jpinnick86 at gmail dot com

Patricia @ ButterYum said...

Count me in, I love Driscoll's berries. Raspberries being my favorite fresh berry. Please don't enter me in the giveaway - I get my Driscoll's at Costco and they don't accept coupons.

Vickie @Vickie's Kitchen and Garden said...

My favorite berries are strawberries and I follow you GFC
vickie
vmorgan456 (at) yahoo (dot) com

BethElderton said...

I'm a gfc friend and we LOVE Raspberries--they are a big treat for us.
bethelderton59 at gmail dot com

BethElderton said...

tweet:
http://twitter.com/#!/mbm218/status/128252870272360450
bethelderton59 at gmail dot com

esldiane@gmail.com said...

I follow you via google and I have to pick one???? Blueberries! Well. how about strawberries and raspberries too
Diane Baum
esldiane@gmail.com

Unknown said...

I follow via GFC and my favorite is strawberries!

mama2kaylabug at aol dot com

Unknown said...

Follow me on Twitter - DONE! @mama2kaylabug

mama2kaylabug at aol dot com

Unknown said...

Become a MIH Facebook Fan - DONE! Nicole Bates Edwards

mama2kaylabug at aol dot com

Unknown said...

http://twitter.com/#!/mama2kaylabug/status/128274135326523393

mama2kaylabug at aol dot com

debijackson said...

gfc debijackson and the strawberries, red raspberries and blueberries are my faves
debbie jackson
djackson1958 at hotmail dot com

debijackson said...

follow recipe blog gfc debijackson
debbie jackson
djackson1958 at hotmail dot com

Lexiquin said...

Following GFC
My favorite berries are raspberries and strawberries! Thanks for the giveaway.
aleq13@gmail.com

Tina said...

follow you on gfc and i like raspberries
merleandtina@Yahoo.com

Tina said...

http://twitter.com/#!/HappyTina0115/status/128297293232349184
merleandtina@Yahoo.com

Erica best said...

i only eat one berry and that is strawberries thanks for the giveaway and gfc name purplelover04

Flowerg said...

Following your blog publicly on Google Friend Connect and I love strawberries :). Thanks!

Flowerg said...

Tweeted http://twitter.com/#!/romapr09/status/128317813764001792

Flowerg said...

I am now a a MIH Facebook Fan and left a comment :)
http://www.facebook.com/MommyImHungry/posts/10150435773193413

Flowerg said...

Following your MIH recipe blog blog publicly on Google Friend Connect under Romapr

debbie said...

I am a gfc follower.
I love blackberries.
debbie
twoofakind12@yahoo.com

JC said...

Google Friend Connect follower. I love blueberries.
tcarolinep at gmail dot com

Tamara B. said...

Follower GFC
(tamaraben)
I love blueberries.
tamben7996(at)aol(dot)com

Nancy said...

I am following via GFC as Nancy.
My favorite are raspberries. And I love the caption "one little ghost fell in the dirt" :)

Danielle S said...

GFC follower~royalegacy
My favorite berries are raspberries. I love buying them at the store and eating them on the way home.
royalegacy at gmail dot com

Danielle S said...

https://twitter.com/royalegacy/status/128516537710682112
royalegacy at gmail dot com

Danielle S said...

I like you on FB~Danielle Sg~said "hello"
https://www.facebook.com/MommyImHungry/posts/225943760801334

AJ said...

GFC Follower (aj). I LOVE raspberries (and strawberries).
angella13 at gmail dot com

AJ said...

Tweeted: http://twitter.com/#!/WINitAJ/status/128524008693043200
angella13 at gmail dot com

BethElderton said...

tweet:
http://twitter.com/#!/mbm218/status/128532866962427904
bethelderton59 at gmail dot com

LAR1975 said...

Hello! I'm a MIH GFC follower (LAR1975), and my favorite berries are raspberries. YUM! Thanks!

luckyleigh(at) frontier(dot)com

LAR1975 said...

Also a MIH e-mail subscriber at luckyleigh(at) frontier(dot)com

Thanks!

LAR1975 said...

FB follower as Leigh Luck Smith. Thanks much, MIH!

luckyleigh(at) frontier(dot)com

LAR1975 said...

Twitter follower, @FrugalLeigh
(http://twitter.com/#!/FrugalLeigh)

LAR1975 said...

Daily tweet, http://twitter.com/#!/FrugalLeigh/status/128562805870837760

Thanks!
Leigh
luckyleigh(at)frontier[dot]com

Flowerg said...

Daily tweet http://twitter.com/#!/romapr09/status/128644838441754625

Unknown said...

http://twitter.com/#!/mama2kaylabug/status/128677919521382400

mama2kaylabug at aol dot com

Unknown said...

http://twitter.com/#!/mama2kaylabug/status/128842184576335872

mama2kaylabug at aol dot com

AJ said...

http://twitter.com/#!/WINitAJ/status/128869272146550784
angella13 at gmail dot com

Margie said...

-follower of blog via GFC

-favorite berry is raspberry!

Thanks for the giveaway.
mtakala1 AT yahoo DOT com

BethElderton said...

http://twitter.com/#!/mbm218/status/128927183111589890
bethelderton59 at gmail dot com

Flowerg said...

Daily tweet http://twitter.com/#!/romapr09/status/129041047849418752

Arlene Braun Mobley said...

Following as flour on my face on GFC and I love raspberries
flouronmyface @ (gmail.com)

AJ said...

http://twitter.com/#!/WINitAJ/status/129249271491997696
angella13 at gmail dot com

BethElderton said...

https://twitter.com/#!/mbm218/status/129260576118538241
bethelderton59 at gmail dot com

Unknown said...

http://twitter.com/#!/mama2kaylabug/status/129358630595211264

mama2kaylabug at aol dot com

Flowerg said...

Daily tweet http://twitter.com/#!/romapr09/status/129388352402227200

Unknown said...

http://twitter.com/#!/mama2kaylabug/status/129585289311174656

mama2kaylabug at aol dot com

BethElderton said...

https://twitter.com/#!/mbm218/status/129592288769884160
bethelderton59 at gmail dot com

AJ said...

http://twitter.com/#!/WINitAJ/status/129608357261742080
angella13 at gmail dot com

Flowerg said...

Daily tweet http://twitter.com/#!/romapr09/status/129757588362506240

Annmarie Weeks said...

I follow on GFC! (amweeks)! And we love using their blueberries in our pancakes!

Unknown said...

http://twitter.com/#!/mama2kaylabug/status/129943471271321600

mama2kaylabug at aol dot com

AJ said...

http://twitter.com/#!/WINitAJ/status/129947477536284675
angella13 at gmail dot com

BethElderton said...

http://twitter.com/#!/mbm218/status/129990105107660801
bethelderton59 at gmail dot com

Flowerg said...

Daily tweet http://twitter.com/#!/romapr09/status/130056400046002177

BethElderton said...

http://twitter.com/#!/mbm218/status/130329907384418305
bethelderton59 at gmail dot com

Unknown said...

http://twitter.com/#!/mama2kaylabug/status/130330746433978369

mama2kaylabug at aol dot com

Flowerg said...

Daily tweet http://twitter.com/#!/romapr09/status/130416717301161984

AJ said...

http://twitter.com/#!/WINitAJ/status/130451111780950016
angella13 at gmail dot com

BethElderton said...

http://twitter.com/#!/mbm218/status/130669951622197248
bethelderton59 at gmail dot com

Danielle S said...

Daily Tweet
https://twitter.com/royalegacy/status/130691133562036224

Unknown said...

http://twitter.com/#!/mama2kaylabug/status/130724585078398976

mama2kaylabug at aol dot com

Flowerg said...

Daily tweet http://twitter.com/#!/romapr09/status/130845085037375488

Unknown said...

http://twitter.com/#!/mama2kaylabug/status/130985977152929792

mama2kaylabug at aol dot com

BethElderton said...

http://twitter.com/#!/mbm218/status/131009827714510848
bethelderton59 at gmail dot com

AJ said...

http://twitter.com/#!/WINitAJ/status/131073538646999040
angella13 at gmail dot com

Flowerg said...

Daily tweet http://twitter.com/#!/romapr09/status/131153728731496452

AJ said...

http://twitter.com/#!/WINitAJ/status/131409047554490369
angella13 at gmail dot com

BethElderton said...

https://twitter.com/#!/mbm218/status/131425822136467456
bethelderton59 at gmail dot com

Unknown said...

http://twitter.com/#!/mama2kaylabug/status/131483513705865216

mama2kaylabug at aol dot com

Flowerg said...

Daily tweet http://twitter.com/#!/romapr09/status/131700543079981056

Unknown said...

http://twitter.com/#!/mama2kaylabug/status/131719326641299458

mama2kaylabug at aol dot com

AJ said...

http://twitter.com/#!/WINitAJ/status/131758630608453632
angella13 at gmail dot com

BethElderton said...

https://twitter.com/#!/mbm218/status/131788807635877888
bethelderton59 at gmail dot com

Flowerg said...

Daily tweet http://twitter.com/#!/romapr09/status/132079229507600384

Unknown said...

http://twitter.com/#!/mama2kaylabug/status/132095057108021248

mama2kaylabug at aol dot com

AJ said...

http://twitter.com/#!/WINitAJ/status/132129811048042496
angella13 at gmail dot com

Danielle S said...

Daily Tweet
https://twitter.com/royalegacy/status/132156785556602880

BethElderton said...

https://twitter.com/#!/mbm218/status/132196884709253121
bethelderton59 at gmail dot com

Catherine Agnes said...

I follow on GFC, and my favorite berry is raspberry. :-)

hugzeke@gmail.com

Unknown said...

http://twitter.com/#!/mama2kaylabug/status/132455793961336832

mama2kaylabug at aol dot com

AJ said...

http://twitter.com/#!/WINitAJ/status/132479678429671424
angella13 at gmail dot com

BethElderton said...

https://twitter.com/#!/mbm218/status/132487891766091776
bethelderton59 at gmail dot com

Flowerg said...

Daily tweet http://twitter.com/#!/romapr09/status/132630592977244160

BethElderton said...

https://twitter.com/#!/mbm218/status/132812069186711553
bethelderton59 at gmail dot com

Carole Spring said...

GFC follower as Carole Spring (using my gmail email address) and my favorite berries are strawberries.

blondie_31971(at)yahoo(dot)com

Carole Spring said...

Tweet: http://twitter.com/#!/cspring31971/status/132969519617556480
blondie_31971(at)yahoo(dot)com

Lexiquin said...

Tweet! https://twitter.com/#!/lexiquin/status/133007092532523009

Unknown said...

http://twitter.com/#!/mama2kaylabug/status/133008117398118400

mama2kaylabug at aol dot com

Flowerg said...

Daily tweet http://twitter.com/#!/romapr09/status/133014973818470402

BethElderton said...

https://twitter.com/#!/mbm218/status/133187437068427264
bethelderton59 at gmail dot com

AJ said...

http://twitter.com/#!/WINitAJ/status/133220526717018112
angella13 at gmail dot com

Unknown said...

http://twitter.com/#!/mama2kaylabug/status/133332256273080320

mama2kaylabug at aol dot com

Flowerg said...

Daily tweet http://twitter.com/#!/romapr09/status/133402254790246401

Unknown said...

http://twitter.com/#!/mama2kaylabug/status/133513452781182976

mama2kaylabug at aol dot com

AJ said...

http://twitter.com/#!/WINitAJ/status/133550915549536257
angella13 at gmail dot com

Flowerg said...

Daily and last tweet http://twitter.com/#!/romapr09/status/133750214510129153

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