Double Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Bars

Adapted from "Homemade for the Holidays." This version is unique in that it calls for crushed chocolate cookies as the base. If you like, serve these garnished with some fresh raspberries on top and a sprig of mint. These are rich and so addicting. They are a rather flat - they will be tall and puffy when they come out of the oven, with oozing craters of jam. However, when cooled they wil only be about 1/2"-1" tall - this is normal.

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Serves: 16-32

Ingredients

• Crust

• 1⁄2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 32  crisp  chocolate cookies, finely crushed (2" in diameter)

• Filling

• 1⁄4 cup granulated sugar
• 24  ounces  neufchatel cheese or 24  ounces cream cheese, softened
• 3  large eggs
• 1⁄2 cup light sour cream or 1⁄2 cup sour cream
• 1  teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2  ounces  semisweet chocolate, melted,cooled slightly
• 2⁄3 cup  raspberry jam

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. Combine butter and crushed cookies for crust and press into the bottom only of a lightly greased 9x13" pan.
3. Bake 10-12 minutes or until crust is set.
4. Meanwhile,using a mixer, combine sugar and cream cheese until very smooth& fluffy, scraping sides of bowl as needed, 3-4 minutes.
5. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
6. Add sour cream and vanilla and beat another 1-2 minutes, scraping bowl again as needed, until mixed.
7. Measure out 1 cup of the filling and add melted chocolate, stirring well until blended.
8. Pour remaining white batter onto crust.
9. Drop spoonfuls of the chocolate batter all over the surface of the white batter layer randomly.
10. Heat jam in microwave just until warm, about 30-60 seconds; drop spoonfuls of jam over the batter randomly.
11. Hold a dinner knife vertically and pull through batter in a zig zag pattern from one end of the pan to the other to create a somewhat marbled appearance (without overswirling).
12. Bake 50-55 minutes or until center of cheesecake jiggles slightly when pan is gently shaken; DO NOT OVERBAKE or it will dry out.
13. Cool in pan on wire rack completely (it may crack a bit on top as it cools- this is normal).
14. Once cooled to room temperature, cover and chill up to 1 day.
15. Cut into 16 large squares (or 32 small ones) and serve garnished as desired; keep leftovers chilled.