11.22.09: Chocolate Irish Cream Cheesecake

I searched for the longest time last night for my Chocolate Irish Cream Cheesecake recipe, only to realize that I had been using it as a mousepad. Well, here it is. I hope that if you make this recipe, you'll come back to tell me what you thought of it. I saw another recipe for a peppermint cheesecake, so that will be my next attempt at nirvana!

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees

The Crust

1 1/2 - 1 3/4 cups of Oreo dust (18-24 Oreo cookies with the lard removed)

6 - 8 tablespoons melted butter

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Place the Oreo’s in your food processor and make them turn to dust. 

Ok - who uses their food processor more than once a year? If you answered yes, you aren't allowed to answer the following question. Ok, for those of us left - who knows what part of my food processor is missing? Give up? Eeeevvvvvvvvvidently there is a part that fits into the chute that prevents food from FLYING out of the processor at warp speeds. Who knew? I eventually stuck a piece of aluminum foil up there to remedy the mess I had already made.

Toss your cookies into the 9” springform pan (ha!) then add the butter and cinnamon. Mix until all the ingredients are combined, then start pressing it down firmly into the pan. This amount of mixture will either allow you to make a thick bottomed crust, or have a thinner bottomed crust and press it up on the sides of the pan as well. For presentation, I think pressing it up about 1/2 way on the sides is a nice touch. Once you’re happy with that, place it in the fridge till you’re ready to pour the batter in. 

The Filling

24 oz. cream cheese, softened 

8 oz. sour cream

1 cup sugar

8 oz Giradellhi semisweet chocolate chips, melted

3 eggs

1/2 cup Bailey’s Irish Cream liqueur

2 tablespoons whipping cream

2 teaspoons vanilla

In a large bowl, place the softened cream cheese, sour cream, sugar and melted chocolate. Get out ya mixer and beat it on high till it’s nice and smooth. Add the eggs and use a spoon or spatula to incorporate them into the mix. Once that’s done, add the liquids: Bailey’s, whipping cream and vanilla. Once again, use your spoon / spatula to thoroughly combine the liquids into the mixture. 

I can't lie - I was trying to swirl it so that it made a Mickey Mouse icon.

Cook It!

Go grab your crust from the fridge and pour in the filling. Place your springform pan on a pan and bake for 50 - 60 minutes.

When it’s done baking cool the pan on a wire rack for about 15 minutes. After that take a knife and run it along the inside of the pan to loosen the cheesecake from the sides. Let it cool for another 1/2 hour like that. After THAT, remove the side of the springform pan and place it in the fridge for at least 6 hours. Overnight does wonders not only for the flavor but the texture as well. If you want to top the cheesecake with the ganache, wait till it’s completely cooled and follow the recipe below. 


Ok, the reason there is no picture is because I was so tired, then rushed the next morning, it never even dawned on me to take a picture. Sorry!

Cover It In Ganache!

8 oz Giradellhi semisweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup whipping cream

2 tablespoons butter

1-2 tablespoons Bailey’s Irish cream liqueur (optional, wait...make that mandatory)

In a heavy sauce pan, heat the whipping cream and butter over a medium heat just until it comes to a boil. Take the warmed mixture and pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for 5 minutes...this will about kill you to not play with it, but “set it and forget it”. After the 5 minutes of nail bitting intenseness, take a wisk and whip it till you have a smooth and silky liquid chocolate. 

This is me with too much time on my hands - poured it into a wine glass then played with it till I made a Mickey Mouse icon. I need help, I know this.

Pour it over the cheesecake and smooth out with a metal spatula. Return the cheesecake to the fridge to set and then FREAKIN ENJOY IT!!!!!!