A Southern Grace: when irish eyes are smiling

March 14, 2013

when irish eyes are smiling

Yum


You can't go more than a few minutes this week without stumbling onto something reminiscent of Ireland, and I'm happy to contribute to the occasion.


Though I've never been to Ireland, I certainly appreciate more from that nation than just edibles. In no particular order, Seamus Heaney, The Chieftains, The Dubliners, Jason O'Mara and Chris O'Dowd have all had some impact on me in one way or another. Plus, some of the most terrific names I've ever heard have Irish origins, and my favorite part about them is that many times, they aren't pronounced at all they way you'd expect. Niamh, Conchobhar, Caoimhe, Saoirse, Aoife, Bairrfhionn. Come on. I want to marry an Irish man just so I can have an excuse to use these names on my kids.


On that note, let's talk about the cake! Though I proclaim again and again that cheesecake isn't something I enjoy, I continue to present recipes for them. I hope you can tolerate my hypocrisy. This particular cake has many appealing qualities, from the jolt of flavor from the Irish cream to its chocolatey richness. It seems especially velvety to this gal, but that might just be all that Irish cream in me talking (not in an Irish accent*, unfortunately...).

*If you like the Irish accent as much as I, you might get a kick out of this.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Irish Cream Chocolate Cheesecake
Makes 1 9-inch cake
Ingredients:
Crust:

  • 1-1/2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs
  • 1/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/4 cup butter
Cheesecake:
  • 3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
  • 1-1/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • Pinch salt
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/3 cup Irish cream liqueur, such as Bailey's (or whip up your own, like I did!)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, mix together the cookie crumbs, powdered sugar and 1/3 cup cocoa. Add melted butter and stir until well mixed. Pat into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes; set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese for a few minutes until fully whipped, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl a few times. Gradually add the granulated sugar and beat for a few more minutes. You want a really fluffy, chunk-free mixture. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add in the 1/4 cup cocoa, flour, and salt. Beat at medium speed until well blended and smooth. Blend in the sour cream and Irish cream liqueur and mix until smooth. Pour filling over baked crust.
Wrap pan in 3 layers of aluminum foil and place it inside another pan with high sides. Put the pan in the oven, and then add water to the larger pan so that it reaches about halfway up the sides of the springform pan.
Bake for 60-75 minutes or until center is just set. Turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake inside for another hour. Remove the pan from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen. Cool 1 hour longer, and then refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, before removing from pan.

30 comments:

Rosa's Yummy Yums said...

A divine looking cheesecake!
Cheers,

Rosa

Caroline Taylor said...

Yum, this sounds so good!

Joanne said...

I just made a guinness chocolate cheesecake so you and I must be on the same wavelength this week! irish names are pretty awesome...unfortunately I don't think I'll be able to convince the.boy to let me name our kids any of them :(

pam said...

Cheesecake hypocrisy is my favorite kind.

Peachy @ The Peach Kitchen said...

Oh gosh, this is mouthwatering!

Half Baked said...

I share in your hypocrisy. I claim I don't like cheesecake yet find myself drooling over recipes all the time! I think I can allow myself to make one that looks this divine!

lisa is cooking said...

Maybe this will change your mind about cheesecake? This sounds like a delightful way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day!

Rosie @ Blueberry Kitchen said...

Oh yum, irish cream cheesecake sounds heavenly!

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

Love the cheesecake, but wouldn't have understood a word of the Irish without the translations below:D

Unknown said...

I also share in your cheesecake hypocrisy. But, will not pass on a chance to try one and this particular cheesecake is being bookmarked for Book Club dessert!!
Thanks for posting.

vanillasugarblog said...

now this is how you do a cheesecake!
nicely done!

Choc Chip Uru @ Go Bake Yourself said...

Cheesecake looks too good my friend :D

Cheers
CCU

Kathy Walker said...

It does look amazing..and the Irish Cream is certain to impart a wonderful flavor, but, like you cheesecake is not on my list of indulgences.

Pam said...

I am not a huge cheesecake fan either but I think this one could put a smile on my face. It looks tasty!

Lisa-Marie said...

I'm a bit Irish (my nana was second generation) and I am all for this cheesecake! Yum!!

Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella said...

Grace, you are too funny presenting cheesecake so well even though you don't like it. I'm a huuuuge fan of cheesecake!

Lynda said...

I love cheesecake, especially of the chocolate kind, so I've got a hankering for this Grace.
I hope you find a nice Irishman to marry-I'll be interested in the names you pick. :)

Marjie said...

I'm not a fan of chocolate cheesecake, but I have a few menfolk around here who are! As for me, I'm looking forward to my decidedly (non) Irish Corned Beef dinner on Sunday!

Laura said...

I can think of better reasons to want a guy from Ireland than just using Gaelic names for babies!! :) Gorgeous cheesecake!

I WIlkerson said...

Irish cream would be a great addition to a cheesecake. A local custard stand is doing Irish Cream ice cream today--can't wait until they open!

Unknown said...

Yummmmmm. I hardly ever eat cheesecake, not because I don't like it, but because of how rich it is. I can never finish a whole slice! Sooooo good though. A few bites of this would send me to heaven, that's for sure! Looks amazing!

Angie's Recipes said...

The cheesecake looks beyond delicious!

Beth said...

A perfect dessert for St. Patrick's Day! I'm not big on cheesecake either, but I might make an exception for this!

Food Gal said...

Now, that beats cabbage any day. LOL

Savor The Baking said...

This looks delicious and it's perfect for St. Patrick's Day or it will add some spunk to any party.

Emily said...

OH my goodness. This cheesecake looks incredible! Happy St. Paddy's Day!

Jeff @ Cheeseburger said...

This cheesecake looks very delicious! Happy St. Patrick's Day Grace!

vianney said...

"Come on. I want to marry an Irish man just so I can have an excuse to use these names on my kids." LOL~ killer cheesecake!

Lori said...

Sounds aamazing! I hated cheesecake as a child but as an adult I love it.This one sounds amazing.

Laura said...

First of all, this is mouth watering. Second, apparently we have Ireland in common too! I am a complete Celtophile. I actually met Seamus Heaney when I attended a poetry reading by him in Ireland.