This is inspired by and adapted from a recipe by Erin Jeanne McDowell from her phenomenal The Book on Pie. When I first made her Chocolate-Covered-Raspberries Pie, I found it almost overwhelming to eat a slice because it was so large and decadent. I thought, why not make a small bites version? I changed the shape and the crust, and cut the filling in half, making this dessert more approachable.

Speaking of the crust, I decided to be super lazy and not remove the centers of my Oreo Thins before blitzing them. Worked like a charm! I may never go back. It takes about 30 full cookies to make this crust, FYI.

Makes 20 to 24 bars

Ingredients

Oreo Cookie Crust

• 2 cups (218 grams) Oreo Thins cookie crumbs
• 5 tablespoons (71 grams) unsalted butter, melted

Chocolate-Raspberry Filling

• 4 ounces (113 grams) cream cheese, room temperature
• 6 tablespoons (36 grams) confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• 5 ounces (142 grams) bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
• 1 ½ cups (360 grams) heavy cream
• 12 ounces (340 grams) fresh raspberries

Raspberry Glaze

• 9 ounces (255 grams) fresh raspberries
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar, divided
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Instructions

Make the Crust: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8-by-8-inch pan with parchment paper, allowing the sides to hang over as handles.

2. Place the cookie crumbs in a medium mixing bowl. Pour the butter over the top and stir to coat thoroughly.

3. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan and back for about 8 minutes or until set and the edges turn golden. Set aside to cool completely.

Make the Filling: 

4. In the bowl fitted for a stand mixer or a medium mixing bowl with a hand mixture, whip the cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar until fluffy and light, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and salt and mix to combine.

5. Turn the mixer to low and slowly pour in the melted chocolate, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

6. In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream to soft peaks. Add the chocolate mixture a little at a time until completely combined.

7. Add a thin layer of the chocolate mousse mixture on top of the prepared crust, then press the fresh raspberries open-side-down to fill the bottom.

8. Top with the balance of the mousse, smoothing out the top. Refrigerate while you make the glaze.

Make the Glaze: 

9. In a small pot, combine the raspberries, lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of the sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally and mashing the berries, until the mixture has completely broken down, about 10 minutes.

10. Strain the mixture through a sieve and discard the solids. Return the strained mixture to the pot.

11. In a small bowl, mix the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and cornstarch and then whisk into the strained raspberries. Set over low heat and cook until the mixture starts to thicken. Transfer to another container to cool to room temperature.

12. Once the mixture has cooled, spread into an even thin layer over the mousse and set in the refrigerator, at least 1 hour, before cutting and serving. Bars can remain refrigerated for up to 3 days.