Have you ever bought raspberries that go soggy as soon as you bring them home? They’re perfect here – their darker, more inky color shows up beautifully in the swirl.
- 1 cup (110 grams) graham cracker or digestive crumbs (about 7 graham leaves)
- 2 tablespoons (25 grams) granulated sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 3 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter, melted
- 6 ounces (170 grams) fresh or thawed frozen raspberries
- 2 tablespoons (25 grams) granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup (130 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 pound (2 8-ounce or 225-gram packages) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 3 large eggs
- Finely grated zest and juice (1 to 2 tablespoons) of half a medium/large lemon
Crust
Whirlwind
Cheesecake
Line the bottom and sides of an 8×8-inch rectangular pan with a large piece of parchment paper pressed into the corners and sides.
Make the crust: Mix breadcrumbs, sugar, salt and butter in a bowl with a fork until well combined. Press firmly into the bottom of your prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the raspberry sauce for the swirl: Process the raspberries with the sugar in a food processor or blender until smooth. Pass the puree through a fine sieve into a small bowl and discard the seeds. Reserve the raspberry sauce.
Prepare the cheesecake: Beat the cream cheese with the sugar until foamy, then beat in the eggs, one at a time, until well combined, scraping the sides and bottom of your bowl between each addition. Add the lemon zest and juice. Pour the cheesecake batter onto the prepared crust (still warm from the oven is fine). Food processor method: Place the sugar, then the cream cheese (cold works here; cut into pieces) in the bowl of the food processor and process until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping the bowl between each one. Add the zest and juice and mix, scraping again.
Assemble: Transfer the raspberry sauce to a squeeze bottle, piping bag, or zipper bag with a small corner cut off, and squeeze the raspberry sauce into the cheesecake batter in two ways: first, by pushing the tip into the batter to deposit the raspberry into the bottom half of the bars (essentially creating “underwater” drops of raspberry sauce everywhere), then by placing droplets all over the top surface. [Tips: Use all of the sauce, even if it seems like a lot. And don’t worry if it’s runny or makes a mess. It’s impossible for this not to come out pretty!] Use a toothpick or skewer to swirl the raspberry sauce decoratively. Transfer the bars to the oven.
Bake the bars: For 40 to 50 minutes, or until the cheesecake batter jiggles a little when the pan is stirred. Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill the rest of the time.
To serve: Use the parchment paper to carefully lift the cold bars out of the pan and onto a cutting board. Cut into 16 squares. Run the knife cleanly between each cut for greater sharpness. Dipping the knife in water can also help.
Do it in advance: The bars will keep for 5 to 7 days in the refrigerator.
