Bailey's Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

The Altitude Adjustment Section
Yes, you might have noticed I am not Irish. But in honor of St. Patrick's day I thought I would do an Irish-inspired dessert. So how about a chocolate chip cheese cake laced with Bailey's?

Ingredients
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
6 Tablespoons butter, melted
2 1/4 pounds cream cheese
1 3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
5 eggs room temperature
1 cup Bailey's Irish Cream
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup heavy cream
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon instant coffee powder
Chocolate curls as garnish

Procedure for Crust
Preheat oven to 325°F. Coat a 9 inch springform pan with vegetable cooking spray. Combine crumbs and 1/4 cup sugar in pan. Stir in 6 tablespoons melted butter. Press mixture into bottom and 1 inch up the sides of the pan. Bake until light brown, usually about 7 minutes. Maintain oven temperature at 325°F.

Procedure for Filling
Beat cream cheese until smooth with and electric mixer. Gradually add 1 3/4 cup sugar, cornstarch, then eggs one at a time, then Bailey's and finally the vanilla. Sprinkle half of the chocolate chips over crust. Spoon in filling. Sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips. Bake until cake is puffed, springy in the center and golden brown, about 1 hour & 20 minutes. Cool cake completely in refrigerator.

Procedure for Cream
Beat 1 cup cream, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon coffee powder until peaks form. Spread mixture over cooled cake. Garnish with chocolate curls. If you are so inclined you can color the cheesecake mixture green, but really is that necessary?

Frozen Cappuccino

Refreshing Beverage of the Week
Have you ever had a Frozen Cappuccino full of alcohol? Well, here it is. It’s like a very adult malted. If you are going to drink this, do not operate heavy machinery!

Ingredients
1 ounce light cream
1 scoop vanilla ice cream
1 tablespoons coffee liqueur
1 tablespoons hazelnut liqueur
1 tablespoon Irish cream liqueur
Crushed ice

Procedure
Combine the liqueurs, ice cream and cream in a blender with half a cup of crushed ice. Blend until smooth. Pour into a parfait glass rimmed with cinnamon sugar. Garnish with a cinnamon stick. Add a straw, and serve. Now that's a party!

Homemade Bailey's Irish Cream and Ice Cream Pie

The Altitude Adjustment Section
Here is a simple recipe for Bailey's Irish cream — which everybody should have on hand!

Ingredients for Irish Cream
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup half & half
1 cup Irish whiskey
1 1/2-2 tsp chocolate flavored syrup (like for coffee, not ice cream)
1/16-1/8 tsp coconut extract

Procedure
Mix all by hand, nonmetal utensils. Store in fridge.

Ingredients for crust
1 1/2 c. chocolate wafer cookie crumbs
1/4 c. sugar
3 tbsp. melted butter

Ingredients for filling
1/2 c. Bailey's Irish cream
2 tbsp. cream de cacao
1 qt. vanilla ice cream
1 jar hot fudge sauce

Procedure
Combine cookie crumbs, sugar and butter and press into a 9-inch pie plate. Mix liqueurs into the slightly softened ice cream. Spoon into the crust. Freeze. Serve with hot fudge sauce or sprinkle with cookie crumbs and nuts.