Mini Bailey’s Irish Creme Cheesecakes

Who doesn’t love the creamy, seductive texture of cheesecake, baked or raw? I can eat it till the cows come home.

And I love the fact that you can keep them interesting by mixing and matching the bases and the toppings – think lemon cheesecake with a light shortbread base, or a Kahlua cheesecake with a dark chocolatey base. Here, I’ve gone with individual cheesecakes (just because I can!) flavoured with Bailey’s Irish Cream and coffee, paired with an Oreo base – divine!

Thanks to Foodiebaker  for the original version which I’ve further adapted. I halved the cream cheese content and though I kept the original amount of Oreo base, next time I’ll be reducing this too – from 200g Oreo cookies to 150g and from 100g melted butter to 75g. But if you love a nice thick crunchy base, stay with the recipe below! And just because I’m not a fan of gelatine, I took this out altogether – you won’t get as firm a texture and you’ll need to keep it refrigerated right up until serving. Finally, I also added vanilla and coffee as flavorings. Hope you enjoy!

Mini Bailey's Irish Creme Cheesecakes

 

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Serves: 6 cheesecakes

Ingredients

• 200g (7 oz) Oreo cookies
• 100g (3.5 oz) butter, melted
• 200ml (6.7 fl oz) heavy cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• About 1/2 cup of Bailey’s Irish Cream, or to taste
• 1-2 teaspoons instant coffee dissolved in 1 teaspoon hot water
• 250g (8.8 oz) cream cheese, softened at room temperature
• 1/2 cup to 2/3 cup caster sugar (superfine), to taste
• 20g (0.7 oz) dark chocolate, melted

Instructions

1. Using a food processor, process the Oreo cookies until they resemble fine crumbs. Add the melted butter into the cookie crumbs and stir until they are all combined. Divide the mixture between the greased individual cheesecake pans (I used six 3/4 cup capacity pans) and pat down firmly* (see note about the option of baking the bases). Pop the pans into the refrigerator while you carry on.
2. Whip the cream and vanilla extract to a firm peak stage. Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the Bailey's Irish Cream and the coffee mixture into the cream cheese and mix together. Fold in the whipped cream and pour the mixture into the cheesecake pans.
3. Over a double boiler and a low heat, melt the chocolate. Gently scoop small dollops of the melted dark chocolate over the cream cheese mixture. Using a long tooth pick, swirl decorations on the cheesecakes.
4. Set for several hours, but preferably overnight in the fridge until firm. Alternatively, you can pop them in the freezer for a quick set.**
5. When ready to serve: dip a palette knife into hot water and dry it. Run the palette knife along the edges of the cheesecake and remove the pan carefully and gently. Place it on a serving plate, allow it to come to room temperature, and serve.

Notes

*Note about the base: If you like, you can cook the bases (I did on this occasion, but it's just a personal preference). If you decide to cook them, preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) and place oven rack in the center of the oven. Once you've put the biscuit mixture into the cheesecake pans, bake for 8-10 minutes and place on a wire rack to cool. Then add the cheesecake mixture as per usual.
**I made these ahead of time and froze them. I found that taking the cheesecakes out of their pans was much easier while they were still 'frozen' than later on when the cheesecake filling had softened up. Then I simply put them in the fridge to defrost for several hours (or overnight) before serving.

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Food Photography Info: Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ47 / Natural lighting