Mini Raspberry Swirl Cheesecakes

I know I've been a terrible tease.

I shared all those photos of the deliciousness that I made for Michael's birthday, and I haven't shared any of the recipes yet. I'm truly sorry.

I promise-I will eventually get around to posting them all! 

In the meantime, if there are any that you're absolutely dying to have, like, right this second-let me know. I'll make sure to put them on here A-tothe-SAP.

So. Cheesecake. Not my cup of tea. Just being honest-I'm not a fan.

That said-I'm aware I'm a minority on this. And Michael, like, completely loves cheesecake. So, I decided to be nice, and make him these adorable mini raspberry cheesecakes for his birthday. And boy, these have lasted! Warning: this recipe makes A LOT. Be prepared for tons of leftovers. That, or make these for a big party or something. I'm serious. We just finished the last of them. His birthday was almost a month ago. Yeah. I also had a really hard time just baking the large volume (#1-I only have 1 muffin tin and #2-only so much room in my oven), I had to do multiple batches and that led to some difficulty. And, after the first batch all sunk down and cracked, I decided to do a water bath for the rest-which is annoying, but I completely recommend you do. All of the difficulties were worth it, though, when I saw how much Michael loves them! Michael likes the size a lot-they're great portions. He says the graham cracker crust is really good and the consistency is nice and fluffy and light-not too heavy like some cheesecakes can be. And there's raspberry-which he really loves. So, all in all, a winner :). I definitely recommend you try these sometime!

Mini Raspberry Swirl Cheesecakes

Adapted slightly from Annie's Eats "Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Cupcakes"

Makes 32 mini cheesecakes

Ingredients:

Crust

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (Blend/process graham crackers to create these)
• 3 tbsp. granulated sugar
• 4 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

Topping

• 6 oz. raspberries
• 2 tbsp. granulated sugar

Filling

• 2 lbs. cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 4 eggs, room temperature.

Preparation:

• Line muffin/cupcake pans with paper liners. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• In a small bowl combine graham crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Blend together with a fork.
• Press 1 tbsp. of graham cracker mixture into the bottom of each liner (using the bottom of a small cup helps press them down).
• Bake until set-about 5 minutes.
• Transfer pan(s) to cooling rack.
• Puree raspberries and sugar in a blender/food processor until smooth. Strain the raspberry mixture through a fine mesh sieve (Boy was that a pain!)
• In a large bowl beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy.
• Blend in sugar until smooth.
• Beat in salt and vanilla.
• Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, making sure they are fully incorporated before adding the next egg.
• Spoon 3 tbsp. filling into each crust.
• Dot 1/2 tsp. of raspberry puree on top of the filling on each little cake. Use a toothpick to swirl and create a marbled effect. 
• Fill a large cookie sheet with water, place a muffin tin on the sheet, so it is partially submerged in the water (giving it a "water bath"-this will help prevent sinking and/or cracking). 
• Bake 11 minutes.
• Rotate pan(s).
• Bake another 11 minutes, or until set (they may look puffed, but they'll go back down).
• Transfer to a wire rack and cool to room temperature.
• Chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours before serving.
• Store any extra or leftover cheesecakes in the refrigerator.

They are awfully pretty.