Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Cupcakes

How adorable are these? And, being a cheesecake – they’re as delicious as they are adorable. They are a relatively quick and easy dessert to put together, and are super impressive. Everyone loves things served in cute individual portions!

I’ve been making these little guys for a couple years now. While the raspberry swirl is my favorite, I’ve also successfully made them with blueberry and strawberry as well. A perfect sweet treat to wrap up these summer days. Can you guys believe summer is almost over? It seems the older I get, the quicker time flies. Slow down with some cheesecake, ya’ll. Have a great weekend!

Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Cupcakes

For the crust:
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon

For the raspberry swirl:
6 oz. fresh raspberries
2 tbsp. sugar

For the filling:
1 lb (2 packages) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
zest from 1/2 lemon
2 large eggs, at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.

In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar, and cinnamon. Stir together with a fork until well blended and all the dry ingredients are moistened. Press 1 tablespoon of the mixture into the bottom of each cupcake liner. (Use a small drinking glass to easily and evenly press the crumbs down) Bake until just set, 5 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack.

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.

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, vanilla, and zest. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

To assemble, spoon 3 tablespoons of the cheesecake batter over the crust in each cupcake liner. 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.

Bake until the filling is set, about 22 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking. (They will look quite puffed initially but will return to normal quickly.) Transfer to a wire cooling rack and let cool to room temperature. Transfer to the refrigerator and let chill for at least 4 hours before serving.

Original article and pictures take http://tideandthyme.com/raspberry-swirl-cheesecake-cupcakes/ site