Raspberry Lime Cheesecake Squares

As if there isn't enough citrus and cream cheese on this site, here's one more delicious variation. This was nice because you get the taste of cheesecake without all the hassle. I altered the original recipe just a bit and made mine with fresh raspberries instead of strawberry jam... mainly because that's what I had on hand and also because I don't like jam on my cheesecake.  I much prefer the taste of fresh fruit.  I loved the combination of the tart raspberry topping with the creamy lime cheesecake. But feel free to substitute strawberries for the raspberries!

Source: slightly adapted from Tasty Kitchen
Feeds: 9

Crust:
1/4 cup butter
1 whole sleeve graham crackers (9 crackers), finely crushed
1/4 cup sugar

Cheesecake:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup lime juice
1 tsp. lime zest

Topping:
1 pint raspberries, fresh or frozen (if frozen, defrost and drain off the excess liquid)
1/4 cup sugar
splash of lime juice

1. Pre-heat oven to 325°F. Melt your butter in an 8x8 square baking pan.

2. Mix sugar and graham cracker crumbs together, until combined and add to melted butter. Mix well and press into the bottom of your baking pan. (I usually use the bottom of a large glass to press it down firmly... works great!)

3. Bake the crust for 5-8 minutes, or until the crust starts to brown. Remove from oven and allow to completely cool.

4. In a small sauce pan, heat the raspberries and sugar. As they cook, mash the raspberries with your spoon until well mushed. (That sounds like a technical term, right?) Bring to a boil, and continue to boil until the liquid has thickened and cooked down a bit.  I usually let mine cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Once they've thickened and cooked down a bit, remove from heat and add your splash of lime juice.  Then allow it to cool.

Now, if you're a crazy perfectionist like me and time doesn't really matter (heh!  who am I kidding...), you can go ahead and strain your raspberry sauce now through a fine mesh sieve.  As much as I LOVE raspberries, I don't love millions of tiny raspberry seeds and so I always strain them out.  But... it is annoying and time consuming.  But so worth it.  I recommend it... it'll give you a nicer presentation and a seed free bite!  (If you're too lazy to strain your raspberries, I suggest going the strawberry route... then you don't really have to worry about as many seeds, right?)

5.  In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, lime juice and zest. Beat until well combined. Pour over cooled crust.

6. Spoon cooled raspberry topping over the cream cheese mixture and use a butter knife to create a marbled effect. Chill for at least 6 hours.