Belated Birthday Cuppiecakes: Raspberry Swirled Cheesecake Cupcakes

I have an amazing friend. She and I have the same belief about keeping in touch: once a friend, always a friend.  (Mas o menos)  If we don’t talk for two, four, six weeks, but we want to talk randomly one day, a text, email, or even dreaded phone call will be written or made and we will catch up as though we did not miss a significant chunk of a year.

She is an amazing person.  She decided one day to take her health into her own hands.  She decided to start running.  She finished two marathons, half marathons, 5K’s, and a Warrior Dash.  She doesn’t give a crap about what anyone thinks about her.  She is nearly impossible to embarrass.  She observes more than I do, which I am always amazed to notice.  She can listen to me talk for 3 days straight.  She knows her limits and can honestly tell you her strengths.  She supports her friends when they want to do things.  She gave up chocolate (probably her worst vice) because her friend gave up alcohol (for 30 days).  She is simply an amazing person. 

I missed her birthday.  I was in the capital area while she was down on the longest island.  (I doubt it is actually the longest, but it is where she currently is located.)

So because of her awesomeness, and her giving up chocolate, I made her some cupcakes without chocolate.  I took a Megabus and the LIRR with six of these beauties.  I don’t like cheesecake still, but I think she might have enjoyed them.  I also brought a few into work, and they ate them up.  I think they looked pretty.

I halved the recipe. 

1.       Finely ground .75 cup graham crackers, add 1.5 melted unsalted butter and 1.5 Tbsp sugar.  Put 1 Tbsp of the mixture on the bottom of 16 liners, push down with the bottom of a glass, and bake at 325 until firm (about 5 minutes).

2.      Puree raspberries (1 package) until smooth.  Pass through a fine mesh sieve with a flexible spatula.  Add 2 Tbsp sugar. 

3.      In another bowl, mix 1 pound of cream cheese until smooth (I used Neufchatel and regular cream cheese).  Add .75 cup sugar.  Add a half a pinch of salt and half a tsp of vanilla extract.  Mix until combined.  Add 2 large eggs at room temperature, one at a time, until combined. 

4.      Add 3 Tbsp into each cup, and a half a teaspoon of the raspberry mixture and swirl.  Bake for 22 minutes.  Should have used a water bath, but I was lazy.  It was humid enough that I don’t think they deflated too badly.&fbsp; Refrigerate for 4 hours or longer.