Baking with Bailey's - Bailey's Irish Coffee Cheesecake

If I could, I’d drink Bailey’s Irish Cream right out of the bottle as if it were a giant Starbucks Frappucino. But since it’s Spirited Cooking today, I restrained myself, poured it on the rocks, and waited for inspiration to strike.

Cheesecake.

I’ve done a pure Bailey’s Irish Cream Cheesecake before. This time, I swirled it with coffee. Who know's what else I would have swirled it with if I had a little more than two glasses?!?

Bailey's Irish Coffee Cheesecake

Preheat oven to 350.

Stir together 1½ c. graham cracker crumbs, 6 T. melted butter, and ¼ c. granulated sugar

Press crumbs onto bottom of springform pan (I used 10”, but if you use a smaller one, your crust and cheesecake will just behigher) Bake for 8-10 minutes until toasted golden brown. Remove, and let cool while preparing filling.

Beat 4 8 oz. packages cream cheese that have been softened to room temperature with 1 c. granulated sugar until smooth and creamy. Add 1 t. vanilla and beat in 4 eggs, one at a time.

Pour half the cheesecake filling into a separate bowl. To half of the batter, add 1 T. instant coffee dissolved in 1 T. hot water. To the other half of the batter, add ¼ - %u2153 c. Bailey’s Irish Cream, depending on how strongly Irish Creamy you want it.

Pour half of the Irish Cream filling into the crust. Very slowly, pour half of the coffee filling over the coffee filling. Repeat with the remaining halves of the Irish Cream and coffee fillings.

Gently run a spoon from the bottom of the filling to top without touching the crust to create a swirl.

Bake in preheated oven for 35-45 minutes, until center is barely set.

Remove from oven, run a knife around the edge to loosen it from the sides of the pringform pan, and let cool completely in the pan.