Baileys Chocolate Cheesecake

I love cheesecake. Preferably the European non-baked version, but I wouldn't pass up either really. Being Gluten-Free I make most (if not all) of the cheesecakes I eat at home, so everyone has to live with the non-baked ones most of the time. When I fist saw the recipe for this particular cheesecake I new straight away that I had to make it, so I promptly waited three weeks (because we only do desserts on Sundays) and got to it.

If you hand me a recipe, the first thing I tend to do is adjust it. Often because I need to make it gluten-free and more often because I like to experiment and make things my own. Or I don't have the things I need in the Larder (because some people have gone and eaten them *cough*) and need to experiment with ingredients. The original recipe (or Idea I guess you could say) for this cheesecake is one by Rob Burns although I have changed it a lot to suit my tastes and my preferred way of making cheesecake (cause I'm compulsive like that).

The first and most important adjustment I made was to almost double the amount of Baileys I added, good thing too, as it is clearly the best part about the whole damn cake. Personally I think it could go without the chocolate all together and just be laced with copious quantities of booze, but I know I am almost alone in my utter hatred for all things chocolate, so I relented and added it. It was okay too, because it was grated so finely it melts on your tongue and blends with the Baileys flavour before one has to taste it on its own. Rest assured the chocolate lovers of the house were appeased.

I swear I ate half of this cheesecake on my own it was that good, and I'm not a huge dessert eater. There were serious fights over who would get the last piece (I claimed victory on that one) and I don't think I have ever seen the boys have such large slices of cheesecake ever before. They claim they just wanted to get their fair share (evil, nasty boys. Insinuating that I am a sneaky dessert thief) and then they wanted to see if they could get drunk. But we know the real reason, besides the fact that they are garbage guts'.

As for serving this cheesecake to kids, my little brother had a huge slice and suffered no ill effects and while I probably wouldn't give it to a toddler (but then, I wouldn't give a toddler anything with sugar in it) I wouldn't worry if the child was over the age of 5 or so. There is only a little more than one standard shot in the whole cheesecake, so you would have to eat the whole thing (not advisable) to get that one shot, and even then you are eating it with rather a lot of cream cheese and biscuits. So. I wouldn't worry on the alcohol front. Unless you are a serious lightweight.

Baileys Chocolate Cheesecake

Ingredients:
150g (5.2oz) Tea Biscuits (Or Digestives, Shortbread or Grahams) I will admit to using Tiny Teddies in this instance. The Honey ones.
75g (2.5oz) Unsalted (sweet) Butter, cold, cut into cubes
160g (5.5oz) Dark Chocolate, divided
300ml (1 1/4 Cups) Thickened (Whipping, Heavy) Cream
600g (21oz) Cream Cheese
1/2 Cup Icing (Confectioners, Powdered) Sugar
35ml (2 UK/US Tbs + 1 tsp, 1 1/2 AU Tbs + 1 tsp) Baileys Irish Cream Liquor
Cocoa, for dusting 

Method:
Line the base of an 23cm (9in) spring form tin with baking paper. I do this by placing the paper over the base, then slipping the base into the side and closing it so the edges of the baking paper comes out the bottom. You want a bit of extra around the edges so when you place the cake onto the stand/plate and dust it you don't get any cocoa powder on the plate (if you are OCD like me) otherwise you can just line it how you would any other pan...

In your food processor put your biscuits and 60g (2oz) of the dark chocolate, broken into chunks, and pulse until they are fine crumbs. Add the cubed, cold butter into the processor and pulse until well combined. Place in the lined spring form tin and press down to cover the bottom of the tin. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Remove your cream cheese from the fridge and finely grate the remaining 100g (3.5oz) of chocolate (I always freeze the chocolate before I grate it).

In a mixing bowl whip your cream to form soft peaks. Set aside. In another bowl place your cream cheese, Baileys and Icing Sugar and whip till well combined (around 3 minutes). Add the cream and grated chocolate and fold in gently. Place on the refrigerated base and spread evenly with a spatula. Cover with Gladwrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and preferably overnight.

To serve remove from tin and dust with cocoa powder.

Serves 8-10. At least 4 hours and 45 minutes prep to table.

I also realised that yesterday was St Patrick's Day. And I only realised it because the Irish Club at Uni held a barbie, painted themselves green and had a party on the lawns. Barbies at Uni are always fun as they involve free alcohol and loud music. Always worth hanging around for. So this Cheesecake sort of fits. It's ingredient de resistance is Baileys Irish Cream, after all.