Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Cupcakes

These pretty little cheesecakes are a perfect solution for entertaining. The recipe makes enough for a crowd and the convenience of a cupcake liner means everyone can help themselves to as many as they would like. Believe me they will be going back for seconds. The tart raspberry swirled through the cheesecake batter breaks up the rich sweetness of cheesecake and the pretty raspberry and mint leaf garnish add an elegant flare.

Serves: 32 cupcakes (just short of three dozen)
Start-to-Finish: 5 1/2 hours (1 hour prep and cook + 4 1/2 hours of cooling and refrigeration. This isn't something you just throw together last minute; it requires some forethought.)

Recipe By: Original recipe by Martha Stewart but I made some modifications of my own

Ingredients:

For the crust:
2 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
4 1/2 tbsp. sugar

For the topping:
6 oz. fresh raspberries (Equals one small pkg of raspberries, so if you want any raspberries to garnish with you either have to buy more or keep some out of the blender.)
2 tbsp. sugar

For the filling:
4 pkgs cream cheese, at room temperature
1½ cups sugar
Pinch of salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 large eggs, at room temperature

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325˚ F.
2. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.
3. In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar.
4. Stir together with a fork until well blended and all the dry ingredients are moistened.
5. Press graham cracker mixture into the bottom of each cupcake liner. (One packed tablespoon of mixture for each cupcake. Don't press too hard or it will be a solid mass you can't bite through at bottom of your cheesecake.)
6. Bake until just set. (5 minutes.)
7. Transfer to a cooling rack.
8. Meanwhile, make the raspberry puree by combine the raspberries and sugar in a blender.
9. Process until smooth, then pour through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds.
10. To make the cheesecake batter, beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium-high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer until fluffy.
11. Mix in the salt and vanilla.
12. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
13. Assemble the cheesecakes by adding 1/8 cup of cheesecake batter, 1/2 tsp of raspberry puree, and another 1/8 cup of cheesecake batter. (You are creating a sandwich here.)
14. Dot another ½ teaspoon of the raspberry puree over all of that. (You dot on the final puree to make the swirling patterns easier and more even.)
15. Then use a toothpick or a wooden skewer to lightly swirl and create a marbled effect.
16. Bake until the filling is set, about 22 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking.
17. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and let cool to room temperature. (They will look quite puffed initially but will return to normal quickly.)
18. Transfer to the refrigerator and let chill for at least 4 hours before serving.
(step by step pictures from annies eats.net)