Irish Cream Cheesecake

Again, March rolls in filled with baseketball, Corned Beef, and teasing warm weekends. Here in Minnesota we still have piles of snow and I watch with envy as other parts of the country start into spring.

Well I can control the color of some things. Most notably the green cheesecake we made for the upcoming St.Patrick's Day week.



The cheesecake recipe is a simple one, adapted from my sister who made the best cheesecakes growing up in Wisconsin. I added some Irish Cream flavoring and green food coloring in different layers to make a cake which resembles Irish Coffee. I may have to try adding some instant cappachino next year....



Basic Cheesecake
3 tbsp butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 cups graham crackers, crushed
1/4 cup hazelnuts, crushed

2 packages cream cheese, room temp
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp Irish Cream flavoring (or other extract)
2 eggs

Melt butter in a bowl and add sugar, graham crackers and hazelnuts. Make sure there is enough butter to be slightly sticky and press into a spring foam pan.

Mix cream cheese, sugar, and flavoring until smooth in a blender. Add eggs one at a time until well mixed. Pour into pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until slightly browning at edges and still a little jiggly in the middle. Let cool on counter and chill for atleast 4 hours. Slice and serve.

* I double the cheese mixture and time to bake for a thicker slice.