Raspberries and Cream Cheese... Need I Say More?

These have been my most favorite dessert to make thus far.  I purchased a ton of raspberries from Costco, knowing that anything I make with them would turn out yummy... Look how good they are!  And Queen's LOVE raspberries... love them.

Raspberry Marble Cheesecakes

From Martha Stewart Cupcakes

Smaller adaptations of favorite desserts, such as raspberry-swirled cheesecake, are always appealing. Everyone gets his or her own, with plenty of buttery graham-cracker crust in each bite. Drops of fresh raspberry puree are pulled through cream-cheese batter to give the cakes a marbleized look.

Note: Baking the cupcakes in a hot-water bath produces the creamiest results and prevents the batter from sinking in the oven.

My brother Tyler is here for a couple of weeks... so he is my sioux-chef this week.... Very helpful!

convert Ingredients

 1/2 cups finely ground graham crackers (about 12 sheets; use a mini chopper or food processor) 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 1/2 cups plus 5 tablespoons sugar 1 container (6 ounces) fresh raspberries 2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature Pinch of salt 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 4 large eggs, room temperature

Method 1. Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Stir together ground graham crackers, butter, and 3 tablespoons sugar. Press 1 tablespoon crust mixture firmly into bottom of each lined cup. Bake until set, about 5 minutes. Transfer tins to a wire rack to cool.

2. Process raspberries in a food processor until smooth, about 30 seconds. Pass puree through a fine sieve into a small bowl, pressing with a flexible spatula to remove as much liquid as possible; discard solids. Whisk in 2 tablespoons sugar.

3. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat cream cheese until fluffy, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. With mixer on low speed, add remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar in a steady stream. Add salt and vanilla; mix until well combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until just combined after each.

4. Spoon 3 tablespoons filling over crust in each cup. Dollop 1/2 teaspoon raspberry puree in a few dots over each. With a wooden skewer or toothpick, swirl sauce into filling. Place each tin in a roasting pan (bake in batches, if necessary); pour enough hot water into pan to come three-quarters of the way up sides of cups.

5. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until filling is set, about 22 minutes. Carefully remove tins from water bath and transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Refrigerate (in tins) at least 4 hours (or out of tins up to 5 days in airtight containers). Remove from tins just before serving.

I can honestly say that this recipe has been the easiest so far!  The directions were quite simple, and when followed directly, they produce the best finished product... and they actually look like the picture.  I loved making them because they were fun and easy and look pretty.

I wouldn't change anything about this recipe, except that it is fun to serve these with a dallop of cream cheese on the top.  They are also good frozen so I do recommend that as well.  

 I also will share one technique I learned a while back, that I did use in this recipe.  When making the crust for the bottom, you have to press it down into the cupcake liners to make an even crust.  I use a metal 1/4 C. to help with this.  It fits just perfectly in the cupcake liners and works like a charm.

The other thing I learned from this recipe was baking these cream cheese cupcakes in a roaster with water.  I can't believe how well it worked!  When I made cream cheese cupcakes in the past, they bubble up and don't come out as smooth... these same out smooth... very smooth.

And as for the men... this was their favorite dessert so far.  The King has been scarffing these babies down since I made them... so unfortunately, no one but the Morgan throne has been able to taste these small delights... but I will make them again.... and serve them to the people!