Cheap Black Raspberry (Jam) Swirl Cheesecake

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Use fingers to rub soft margarine intp the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Sprinkle crushed grahams by the handful over the coated pan bottom until evenly covered. Set springform aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until soft. Add sugar and vanilla extract and beat well. Gradually add the eggs to the mixture, one at a time, beating after each addition.

Next, beat in milk and scrape bowl while beating until mixture is smooth and no lumps of white cheese are discernible. As gently as possible, spoon about 2/3 of the cheese mixture in large dollops into the prepared springform, being careful not to stir or upset the filling with your spoon to keep the graham layer intact.

Microwave the seedless berry jam for about 30 seconds and stir briefly until smooth. Pour MOST of the heated jam into the remaining 1/3 batter. Make 2 or 3 quick circles with your spoon around the mixture but do not over-incorporate.

Pour the jam/batter mixture on top of the existing batter in the pan, swirling or patting lightly with a butter knife to distribute. If your swirls have begun to look “washed out”, you can use that last little bit of reserved hot jam to swirl across the top for contrast.

Place springform pan in a water bath and put into the oven. Bake 30 minutes without opening oven door other than to refill water bath if necessary. At the thirty minute mark, turn off oven completely but leave the cheesecake inside with the door closed. Allow to cool in this manner for 10-15 minutes, at which point you should crack the oven door open slightly. Allow to cool with door ajar for several more minutes before removing cheesecake to a countertop wire rack. This will avoid too many surface cracks.

Once the sides of the springform can be comfortable touched for a couple of seconds at a time, move it to the refrigerator to chill overnight (or for a minimum of 8 hours) before serving. Do not remove springform metal hoop until cheesecake has chilled overnight to preserve the shape.

This is so delicious, and using seedless jam eliminates all of the syrup-boiling and seed-straining that makes berry cheesecakes so much work. Try it and see!