My mother-in-law made this for a Sunday night treat the summer I married her son. Holy heaven I loved it! It is an old family recipe that my husband remembers eating all summer long. He grew up in Oregon, in the Willamette Valley, where berries are plentiful. They grow easily and wild.
There is something satisfying about handing down old family recipes, sitting around the table outside with our kids on a summer night, talking, laughing and eating one of their dad's favorite childhood treats. None of my children have children yet, but my daughter has made it for her college roommates. And when she eats it, she thinks of home, and her Grandma Ritz and her family.
The original recipe calls for frozen raspberries, but I love being able to make it with fresh raspberries when I have them on hand.
Use a food processor or place graham crackers in a gallon Ziploc bag and roll over with a rolling pin to get a cup of graham crackers. OR you can BUY a box of graham cracker crumbs in the baking aisle. Super convenient!
Add in the melted butter and sugar. Blend together with a fork till it looks like clumpy sand. Press it into a 9×13 pan.
Separate the eggs. Sett the whites aside. Beat the egg yolks till thick and pale yellow.
Add the cream cheese, sugar and salt. Blend it all till combined and smooth. Slowly add the cream as the mixer is going on low. Gradually up the speed to medium high. Beat till the cream thickens, and it is thick and smooth.
Next whip up the egg whites till stiff and dry. Pour them into the large bowl on top of the egg yolk mix.
Gently fold the two groups together.
Puree the raspberries and add a little more than half to the creamy filling. Gently fold till the cream is a light pink color, and all is well combined.
Pour the cream over the graham cracker crust and spread out evenly.
Drizzle the rest of the raspberry puree over the top of the cream layer. Use a butter knife to create a swirl pattern.
Place in the freezer for 5+ hours.
To serve, get out of the freezer and let sit for a few minutes. Use a hot knife to cut into squares if it is too frozen to cut. It thaws quickly so don’t let it sit out too long.
Raspberry Swirl
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup Graham Cracker crumbs
- 4 Tbsp butter melted
- 2 Tbsp sugar white, granulated
Swirl Filling
- 3 eggs separated, need both yolks & whites
- 1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese room temperature
- 1 cup sugar white, granulated
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 cups raspberries, washed and pureed. Can also use 10 oz. frozen. Thaw and puree.
Instructions
Crust
- Use a fork to combine the cookie crumbs, sugar and melted butter. Press into a clean and dry, freezer safe 9×13 pan. No need to grease the pan. I use my fingers and the back of a spoon to press the graham cracker mixture evenly into the dish.Set aside.
Swirl Filling
- Separate the eggs. Set the egg whites aside. Beat the egg yolk. Use electric beaters or a stand mixer with the whisk attachment if you have one. Beat the heck out of the egg yolks. Beat till they are thick and a pale yellow color.
- Add the cream cheese, sugar and salt. Beat till smooth.
- As the mixer is going on low, slowly pour in the heavy cream. Gradually move the speed up to medium high. Beat till thick and creamy. If using a stand mixer, then transfer to a large clean bowl. Wash out the mixer bowl.
- Beat the egg whites till stiff and dry, no liquid in the bottom. It is easier to do with electric beaters or a stand mixer. Remove the egg whites to sit on top of the egg yolk mixture.
- Gently fold the whipped egg whites and the egg yolk mix together with a large rubber spatula. Do not stir, fold gently, so the whipped up eggs and cream do not break down.
- Puree the raspberries in a blender or smoosh with a fork till there are no chunks left. Frozen raspberries work just as great as fresh.
- Pour a little more than half of the pureed berries into the cream. Fold the berry pure in till the cream is all pink and well combined.
- Pour the raspberry cream on top of the graham cracker crust and spread out evenly.
- Drizzle the rest of the raspberry puree over the top of the cream layer. Use a butter knife back and forth through the cream to create a swirl pattern.
- Cover with a lid or foil. Place flat in the freezer for 5+ hours. I make it in the morning to serve later that night or make it the day or night before it is needed.
- To serve, take out of the freezer and let sit for a few minutes. Use a hot knife to cut into even squares. Put immediately back into freezer for more deliciousness later. It thaws fairly fast.