Bailey's Cheesecake

Aaaaahhhh - St Patrick's Day.  The day when most of us fools gather round and drink green beer and have a rowdy good time.

Did you know that it's actually the traditional death date of Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland?

Yeahhhhh - we mostly focus on the party time...  Not the death stuff.

I've done a couple of different stews and sampled a couple of different soda breads.  You can check them out here, here, and here.  Oh, and these Vanilla Bailey's Cupcakes are to die for.

But we should really talk about this Bailey's Cheesecake.  Normally, I tend to do no-bake cheesecakes simply because they are so much simpler.

There's just something about a traditional cooked cheesecake that is so special.

First, start with the crust.

Combine the sugar,

With graham cracker crumbs,

And melted butter.  Stir it all together and press it into the bottom and up the sides of a springform pan.

Bake the crust.

Then make the filling.

Beat the cream cheese until its smooth.  And add the sugar.

Then add the eggs one at a time and beat them into the cream cheese.  Make sure the eggs are at room temperature so the cream cheese doesn't seize up.

Then stir in the Baileys and vanilla.

Pour the cream cheese mixture into the crust and bake.  I like to make a little nest of aluminum foil for the springform pan just in case it leaks.

The cheesecake is going to puff and turn golden.  Don't be bummed if it cracks.  You can fix it with a little patience - I prefer to cover it with whipped cream and call it perfect.

And how perfect it was. 

Rich and creamy - just like something you'd get at a high-end bakery...  And it came out of MY kitchen!

If you're a little hesitant about making a baked cheesecake, please don't be!  In fact - I recommend starting with this one!

Complete perfection.  The Baileys flavour wasn't lost at all.  It was 10,000 times better than Baileys and coffee and made my insides all glowy and happy just the same.

xoxo - Heather

Bailey's Irish Cream Cheesecake

2 cups graham crumbs

1/4 cup sugar

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 1/4 pounds cream cheese, room temperature

1 2/3 cup sugar

5 eggs, room temperature

1 cup Bailey's Original Irish Cream

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

Whipped cream (if desired)

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Spray a 9-inch springform pan with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the graham crumbs and sugar. 
3. Stir in the melted butter until well combined.  Press into the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of the springform pan.
4. Bake until golden brown, at least 7 minutes.
5. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth.  Gradually mix in the sugar until combined.
6. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time until combined.
7. Add in the Bailey's and vanilla extract.
8. Pour the cream cheese mixture into the graham cracker crust. 
9. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour 20 minutes until puffed, springy in the center, and golden. 
10. Remove from oven and cool completely.
11. Top with whipped cream if desired (or other toppings).

Source:  Joey Randall