Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake

Ingredients:

• 1 cup finely ground graham crackers (see notes)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 6 ounces raspberries
• 32 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• Pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• Boiling water, for roasting pan
• 
  
• Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wrap exterior of a 9-inch springform pan (including base) in a double layer of foil; set aside.

2. Stir together cracker crumbs, melted butter, and 2 tablespoons sugar in a medium bowl. Press crumb mixture firmly onto bottom of pan. Bake until set, about 10 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.

3. Process raspberries in a food processor until smooth, about 30 seconds. Pass puree through a fine sieve into a small bowl; discard solids. Whisk in 2 tablespoons sugar, and set aside. (If you like your raspberries a little more tart then half the sugar or leave it out completely. I have done it both ways and both work very nicely.)

4. Put cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. With mixer on low speed, add remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar in a slow, steady stream. Add salt and vanilla; mix until well combined. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing each until just combined (do not overmix). Pour cream cheese filling over crust.

5. Drop raspberry sauce by the teaspoon on top. With a wooden skewer or toothpick (I used the handle of a spoon), swirl sauce into filling.

6. Set cake pan inside a large, shallow roasting pan. Transfer to oven. Carefully ladle boiling water into roasting pan to reach halfway up sides of cake pan. Bake until cake is set but still slightly wobbly in center, 60 to 65 minutes.

7. Transfer cake pan to rack; let cake cool completely. Refrigerate, uncovered, 6 hours or overnight. Before unmolding, run a knife around edge of cake.

   Note:When I made this I didn't have time to make my own crust. So instead of making my own I bought a pre-made one from the store. If you do this, be sure to get one 10-inch crust and one 9-inch crust because this recipe was intended to be made with an actual cheesecake pan which is a lot deeper than a pre-made graham cracker crust. Because of this, there will be enough of the filling to fill the two crusts.

   Note: I didn't have a pan that was big enough to put the two crusts in and ladle the water into when I used pre-made crusts. So I altered the recipe and didn't do the thing with the boiling water in the roasting pan in the oven. I just cooked the cheesecakes at a lower temperature for longer and it worked just fine. I cooked them between 250 and 275 degrees F for closer to an hour and a half and it worked very well. I would say that it even turned out just as good as it did when done the way the recipe states, and it's easier too. I recommend this option to cooks with less experience making this recipe for the first time.

   
   

   This cheesecake turns out beautifully! It isn't too hard to make and is always a hit. The picture above is one that I made myself and it looks (and tasted) professional! Love it!

   Happy Baking! :)