Happy belated Valentine’s Day to you all! I hope that all of you got to enjoy it in some way. Chet and I had a very laid back weekend, relaxing and hanging out together. It was great to have some time together after a long week of travel and work. We made a delicious rack of ribs in the crock in pot which was doused in a Georgia mustard bbq sauce. For dessert I wanted something that was easy but still felt special.

A while back Chet and I had watched an episode of Friends (thanks for the good month plus of binge watching Netflix) which revolved around a stolen but delicious cheesecake. Every now and then the thought of a flaky graham cracker crust gracefully supporting a fluffy and airy medallion of cheesecake complete with raspberry swirl would consume me. I decided enough was enough and made us some mini cheesecakes. They are delicious but dangerous. As I type I am currently trying mentally block the churning in my stomach from the three (yeeeaaah….just three….) that I ate after dinner tonight. 🙂

Enjoy the images and give the recipe a try next time you crave cheesecake!

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp graham cracker crumbs (from 7 full sheets)
• optional 1/4 cup of golden graham cereal (I just happened to have this and thought why not!)
• 1 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
• 3 1 /2 Tbsp salted butter, melted

• 6 oz fresh raspberries
• 2 Tbsp granulated sugar

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 (8 oz) pkgs cream cheese, softened well but not melted
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup sour cream

Directions

• For the crust:
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. However you decide, smash up your graham crackers and optional golden grahams. I used a potato masher. In a mixing bowl, using a fork, stir together graham cracker crumbs and sugar, then pour in melted butter and stir until evenly moistened. Add just under a tablespoonful to 24 paper lined muffin cups. Press crust firmly into an even layer. I used a mini mustard from one of my various hotel stays to press the crust firmly down. Bake in preheated oven 5 minutes then remove from oven and allow to cool.
• For the raspberry swirl:
• Add raspberries and 2 Tbsp granulated sugar to a food processor and pulse until well pureed, about 30 seconds – 1 minute. Press mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl (basically until there are only seeds remaining in strainer, you should get quite a bit out of it). Set aside.
• For the cheesecake filling:
• In a Kitchenaid mixer, mix together granulated sugar and flour. Add cream cheese and lemon zest, blend mixture just until smooth. Mix in eggs one at a time. Stir in vanilla and sour cream just until combined. Tap bowl forcefully against counter top, about 10 times, to release large air bubbles. Divide mixture evenly among cups over crust layer, adding about 1 tablespoon to each and filling nearly full. Jiggle pan to level cheesecake filling then dollop about 5 small circle of raspberry sauce over each cupcake. I used a butter knife to distribute the drops.  Using a toothpick, swirl raspberry filling with cheesecake mixture to create a marbled design. I also created some with hearts by taking the toothpick and dragging it straight down through the center of each circle. Bake in preheated oven 15 minutes until cupcakes are puffed and nearly set. They will crack, but once they deflate your cracks will fill in a bit. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely, then chill in refrigerator 3 hours, until set. Store in refrigerator in an airtight container.

Recipe adapted from cooking classy.

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