Mini Raspberry Cheesecakes

I made these at my parents' house several years ago and they were such a festive (and delicious) Christmas treat! It's kind of a tragedy I haven't made them since, but I'm hoping to remedy that this year. These are so cute and are actually pretty easy to make. My swirls weren't the most beautiful, but I'm sure you can do much better! These would make a great treat to bring to any holiday party or to bring to some friends this season.

Mini Raspberry Cheesecakes

For the crust:

1.5 cups graham cracker crumbs
4 T. unsalted butter, melted
3 T. sugar

For the raspberry swirl:

6 oz. fresh raspberries (you can use thawed frozen ones)
2 T. sugar

For the filling:

2 lbs. cream cheese, at room temperature
1.5 c. white sugar
Pinch of salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 large eggs, at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liners. In a small bowl, combine the crust ingredients. Stir together with a fork until well blended and the crumbs are moistened. Press 1 T. of the mixture into the bottom of each cupcake liner. (Use a small glass or measuring cup or something to press down). Bake until just set, about 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. Set aside.

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.

To assemble, spoon 3 T. of the cheesecake batter over the crust in each cupcake liner. dot a 1/2 tsp. 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. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours before serving.

Source: Annie's Eats