Raspberry Cheesecake in a Mason Jar

Ingredients

• 1 12-ounce package frozen raspberries
• 3/4 cup sugar, divided 1/2 cup and 1/4 cup
• 1/3 cup water
• 10 Oreo cookies, without the filling, or 20 chocolate wafer cookies
• 2 Tbsp melted butter
• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• Pinch salt
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• Whipped cream for topping
• Fresh raspberries for garnish
• 4 Wide-mouthed 8-ounce mason jars

Directions

1. Start with the raspberry sauce. Take 1/2 a cup of the frozen raspberries from the package and save them for later. Put the rest of the raspberries in a medium saucepan with 1/2 cup sugar and 1/3 cup of water. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium high heat, then reduce the heat so it keeps bubbling gently. Cook, whisking often, until the berries have fully collapsed, about 10 minutes.
2. For a smoother sauce, press the raspberry mixture through a sieve to catch the seeds, then pour it back into the pan. Continue simmering gently until it thickens into a syrupy sauce. Set it aside so it can cool. To make the Oreo cookie crust, crush the chocolate cookie wafers, Oreo or another brand, in a food processor, mini chopper, or sealed plastic bag with a rolling pin, until they are finely ground.
3. Transfer the crumbs to a medium bowl and mix in the melted butter. Spoon the mixture evenly into the mason jars, pressing it into the bottom of each jar to make a chocolate crust about 1/4 to 1/3-inch thick.
4. At this stage, you can bake the crusts in a 350 degrees F oven for 10 minutes, which helps them stay put when the cheesecake filling goes in. If a slightly swirly bottom does not bother you, you can skip that. For the cream cheese filling, beat the cream cheese in a mixer on medium speed for 4 minutes, until it looks smooth and airy. Add 1/4 cup of sugar and beat for 4 minutes more. Mix in a pinch of salt and the egg, then beat for another minute.
5. Add the sour cream and beat for another minute, until the mixture is smooth. Pour in 1/4 cup of the cooled raspberry syrup from the sauce you made earlier, and beat until it is fully mixed in. Arrange the reserved raspberries in a single layer over the chocolate crusts in the mason jars. Pour the raspberry cheesecake filling over the raspberries.
6. Set the jars in a roasting pan and pour about an inch of boiling water into the pan to make a water bath, which helps the cheesecakes bake evenly. Bake at 325 degrees F for 40 minutes. Turn the oven off and leave the cheesecakes inside to finish cooking gently in the remaining heat for another 30 minutes.
7. Take the jars out of the oven and let them cool to room temp. Chill them for at least a half hour before eating. If the tops crack a bit, do not stress. Finish with the remaining raspberry sauce, whipped cream and fresh raspberries.