I know that my calendar says that it’s going to be March tomorrow, but that can’t be right … can it?  What happened to February?  I distinctly remember having a conversation with a co-worker near the end of January commenting on how I predicted that my February was shaping up to be nothing but a giant blur.  Looking back on the past four weeks, I remember (1) work, (2) snow, (3) eating things that can be made in 30 minutes and (4) more work.  Everything else is a blurry haze.

Blurry haze aside, I do remember making this Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake in my favorite mini-springform pan and, given it’s low-guilt factor, wishing that I had made two more!  A crust made from low-glycemic whole wheat crackers is filled with a luscious (sugar-free!) cheesecake filling swirled with raspberry preserves.  Even in the midst of a month that was a complete blur, this cheesecake is utterly memorable.

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One of the best things about making a homemade treat for someone else, aside from their surprise/appreciation/love/affection, is the opportunity to try out a recipe you might not otherwise make.  I’m a bona fide chocoholic and the idea of a dessert that doesn’t involve copious amounts of chocolate rarely shows up on my radar.  So when I was faced with making a birthday dessert for my uncle whose favorite treat is key lime pie and cheesecake, I was pushed out of my comfort zone.  No chocolate?  Whatever would I do!

Knowing practically nothing about key lime pie (like I said, unless it’s made from or covered in chocolate I’m generally not interested), I set about doing some research.  Apparently, authentic key lime pie isn’t actually baked.  The acid in the lime juice “cooks” the eggs while it rests in the fridge for hours on end (think ceviche).  Not knowing if my uncle was a key lime purist, I wanted to do a key lime cheesecake that incorporated the most authentic flavors possible.  I found a recipe from Zoe Bakes that uses sweetened condensed milk, which is the hallmark of traditional key lime pie.

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It looks simple.  In theory, it should be easy.  Martha can do it in her sleep.  Deb makes it look like a piece of cake.  But I’ll be the first to admit that swirling two different batters together to achieve a perfect marbled effect isn’t as easy as it seems.  I’ve ventured into marbling a couple times and it’s always ended in a muddled mess.  The picture-perfect swirls of different flavors and textures were simply not my destiny.

Not one to surrender to failure (especially not when it involves chocolate and/or cheesecake!), I decided to give marbling another whirl … literally.  Due to what I can only assume was constant whining about the lack of brownie pans in my kitchen, my boyfriend got me a Baker’s Edge pan for Christmas.  I had been reading about the fantastic results that this pan produces from Nicole at Baking Bites for awhile, so I was fairly giddy about trying it out.  It is essentially a 9 x 13 baking pan that has internal “walls” that create edges throughout the dish.  This is supposed to help with even cooking and ensures lots of edges to brownies, cookie bars, and even lasagna!

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