Individual Cheesecakes in Jars

Preheat oven to 325ºF.

Make sure the jars you use are oven safe, the number of servings will depend how big the jar you will be using. Have your ingredients at room temperature.

The cheesecakes will be baked in a water bath; make sure to have a pan that will fit the jars you will be using and has enough depth to hold the boiled water. Boil water for the water bath.

Start mixing all the ingredients for the crust in a bowl. Once done, equally distribute the mixture among the jars. Press down firmly. Set aside.

For the cheesecake filling, beat (with a mixer at low speed) cream cheese, salt and sugar until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, making sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add vanilla, sour cream and lemon zest, continue to beat at low speed until incorporated.

Distribute cheesecake filling among the jars. Place jars in the pan. You will be filling the pan with boiling water halfway up. I usually fill the pan with water once I’ve laid it on the rack in the oven, this way I don’t spill any water.

Bake for about 25–30 minutes, with the sides of the cheesecake firm and centre still wobbles a little. (Cracked cheesecakes happen when over-baked or oven temperature is too high.)

Cool completely and refrigerate. I prefer refrigerating the cheesecakes overnight. But if you must, wait for about 2 hours. You can garnish with fresh fruit, chocolate or caramel.