Mini Raspberry Swirled Cheesecakes

These are adapted from one of my favorite blogs to drool over lately. They came out good, but mine were a tad bit dry, maybe I overbaked them.

I thought making them mini sized would be an excellent idea because fruit burns easily. I've tried making regular sized cheesecakes with swirled fruit and you have to be really careful because the fruit on top tends to burn before the cheesecake is ready to come out of the oven.

Happily, the fruit didn't burn, but they could still use some more richness. I think I know what to do. Check my next post for an updated version!

UPDATE: Better version here.

Mini Raspberry Swirled Cheesecakes
Yield: 24 mini cupcakes

Ingredients:
For the crust:
½ cup graham cracker crumbs
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

For the topping:
3 oz. fresh raspberries (one more oz. if you want a garnish)
1 tbsp. sugar

For the filling:
16 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature

Directions:
Combine the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter in a small bowl. Stir together with a fork until well blended and all the dry ingredients are moistened. Press 1 teaspoon of the mixture into the bottom of each mini cupcake, done easily with one thumb. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 300˚ F.

To make the raspberry puree, combine 3 oz. raspberries and sugar in a blender or food processor. Process until smooth, then pour through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds. Easier said than done.

To make the cheesecake, beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium speed in the bowl of an electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in the vanilla and eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

To assemble, spoon one heaping tablespoon of the cheesecake batter over each crust. Dot a ½ teaspoon of the raspberry puree in a few dots over the cheesecake filling. Use a toothpick to lightly swirl and create a marbled effect.

Bake until the filling is set, about 18-20 minutes. They should look puffed initially but will return to normal after cooling. Let cool to room temperature. Take a thin butter knife and go around the edge of each cheesecake to loosen. Flip the pan over onto a plate to release all cakes. Transfer to the refrigerator and let chill before serving. Garnish with fresh raspberries.