Raspberry Cheesecakes In Jars

1. Stage

Make the raspberry sauce: Set aside 1/2 a cup of the frozen raspberries from the package. Place the remaining raspberries in a medium saucepan. Add 1/2 cup sugar and 1/3 cup of water. Bring to a simmer on medium-high heat, then lower the heat to maintain the simmer, and gently cook, whisking frequently, until the raspberries have completely broken down, about 10 minutes. If you want, strain the raspberry sauce through a sieve to remove the seeds, and then return the sauce to the pan and continue to gently simmer until the the sauce is syrupy. Set aside to cool.

2. Stage

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

3. Stage

Make the Oreo cookie crust: Grind the chocolate cookie wafers (Oreo or other brand) in a food processor, mini chopper, or by placing in a plastic bag and crushing with a rolling pin, until finely ground. Place in a medium bowl and stir in the melted butter. Divide evenly among the mason jars, packing the chocolate "crust" at the bottom of each mason jar in a layer about 1/4 to 1/3-inch thick. At this point, you can place them in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes to bake the crust, which will make it easier to pour in the cheesecake filling without it mixing in with the crust. (Or if you don't care if the bottom is a little messy, you can skip this part.)

4. Stage

Make the cream cheese filling: In a mixer, beat the cream cheese on medium speed for 4 minutes, until smooth and light. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and beat for 4 minutes more. Add a pinch of salt and the egg, and beat another minute. Add the sour cream and beat another minute, until smooth. Add 1/4 cup of the cooled raspberry syrup from step one, and beat until incorporated.

5. Stage

Layer raspberries and filling on top of crusts in mason jars: Place the reserved frozen raspberries on top of the chocolate crusts in the mason jars in a single layer. Pour the raspberry cheesecake filling over the raspberries in the jars.

6. Stage

Bake in water bath: Place in a roasting pan and add about an inch of boiling water to the pan to create a water bath, which will help the cheesecakes cook more evenly. Bake at 325°F for 40 minutes. Turn off the heat in the oven and let the cheesecakes continue to gently cook in the residual heat of the oven for another 30 minutes.

7. Stage

Chill and top with whipped cream and raspberry sauce: Remove from oven and let cool to room temp. Chill for at least a half hour before eating. Don't worry if there are cracks on the surface of the cheesecakes. Top with the remaining raspberry sauce, whipped cream, and fresh raspberries.