Chocolate Irish Cream Cheesecake

Crust:

Run the Oreo cookies through the food processor until they are dust. Add the butter and cinnamon and gently toss to mix. Press the mixture together onto the bottom of a 9″ springform pan. If there is enough mix, press it up the sides as well. Refrigerate it until you’re ready to add the mixture.

Note: Check to see if you still OWN a 9″ springform pan. (I’m speaking from experience.) If not, you can use a cupcake pan to make “mini nirvana.” Line each cup with cupcake paper, press the crust mixture into each one, fill just a smidge over 1/2 full and bake at 300 degrees for 18-20 minutes.

Filling:

Grab a large bowl and combine the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar and melted chocolate. Beat with a mixer on high until smooth. With a spatula/spoon, stir in the eggs until they combine with the other ingredients. Add the Irish cream, whipping cream, vanilla and again stir until it’s all combined.

Pour the filling in the Oreo-crusted pan and bake at 325 degrees for 50-60 minutes.

Cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Then run a knife along the pan to loosen the cheesecake from the pan. Cool for 1/2 hour, then remove the sides and refrigerate.

More … there’s MORE, you say?? Yep, you can top it with a Chocolate Irish Cream Ganache.

To make the ganache, heat the whipping cream and butter in a saucepan over medium heat until it just comes to a boil. Pour the warmed cream and butter over the chocolate and let it sit for 5 minutes. This will about kill you to not touch or play with it, but get a grip and let it sit. After the 5 minutes, whisk until it’s smoooooth, then add the liqueur.

Once the cheesecake had cooled, pour the ganache over the top and spread evenly. Mine always ends up in a pool in or around the center because my cheesecake has caved a bit and cracked like the fault lines of California … but this is not about me and my inability to make it look good. It TASTES good and that’s what counts in my book!

ENJOY!