Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Cupcakes

There are two things that are no secret among our group of friends.
1. I do NOT like cheesecake.
2. My husband LOVES cheesecake.

So since I am all about trying new recipes AND because I love my husband so much, I tried out a new cheesecake recipe for his birthday last weekend. Thankfully, those that eat cheesecake seemed to enjoy these and I hope you do too!

*Note* Please do not be intimidated by the instructions. It may look like a lot but it's fairly simple. I promise you can do it!

Ingredients:
For the crust:

• 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
• 4 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
• 3 tbsp. sugar

  For the raspberry swirl:

• 6 oz. fresh raspberries
• 2 tbsp. sugar 

 For the filling:

• 2 lbs. cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1½ cups sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature

 Instructions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 325˚ F.
2. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.
3. In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and sugar. Stir together with a fork until well blended and all the dry ingredients are moistened.
4. Press 1 tablespoon of the mixture into the bottom of each cupcake liner. I used the bottom of a glass to push the graham cracker down.
5. Bake until just set, 5 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack.
6. To make the raspberry puree, combine the raspberries and sugar in a blender or food processor. Process until smooth, then pour through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds.
7. To make the cheesecake, beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer until fluffy. Blend in the sugar until smooth. Mix in the salt and vanilla. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
8. To assemble, spoon 3 tablespoons of the cheesecake batter over the crust in each cupcake liner.
9. Dot a ½ teaspoon of the raspberry puree in a few dots over the cheesecake filling. Use a toothpick or a wooden skewer to lightly swirl and create a marbled effect.
10. Bake until the filling is set, about 22 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking.
11. Let cool to room temperature.
12. Transfer to the refrigerator and let chill for at least 4 hours before serving. *I placed some cling wrap lightly on top and kept them in the cupcake tins for refrigeration.

Recipe found here: http://annies-eats.com/2010/08/06/raspberry-swirl-cheesecake-cupcakes/

Enjoy!