Baileys Coffee Mini Cheesecakes

It's been way too long. I know. It's like, what, 3-4 months since my last post? Terrible. I have a million reasons. Too busy, too lazy, not feeling inspired, ate too much during the festive season, my baking is making me fat, trying to go on a sugar free diet (with little success I should add), and blah blah blah.

Anyway, I thought I will share an easy bake before I go MIA (missing in action) for a few months again. Haha. Just kidding. Maybe.

What can I say about these Baileys Coffee Cheesecakes except that they are pretty amazing. They are like Irish coffee, but with Baileys and in mini cheesecakes form. They are so amazing in fact that I actually crawl out of my "blogger's block" so that I can share it with anyone who are still following my blog. That, my friend, is how awesome it is!



Baileys Coffee Mini Cheesecakes
(Adapted from Taste magazine March 2015)

Makes 6 muffin size cheesecakes

120 grams plain chocolate biscuits (I used oreos without the filling)
50 grams unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons instant coffee powder
1 tablespoon boiling water
250 grams cream cheese, at room temperature
60 grams brown sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
2 tablespoons baileys
125 grams thickened cream, whipped
Cocoa powder, to dust

To make baileys coffee mini cheesecakes:
Preheat oven to 150C or (130C fan-forced). Line standard muffin/cupcake pan with paper cases. (Tip: Use two paper cases to prevent the cheesecakes from stucking onto the pan.)

Process chocolate biscuits in a food processor until finely crushed. Add butter and process until well combined. (Tip: If you don't have a food processor, just pop the biscuits in a ziplock bag, crush the biscuits with a rolling pin, transfer the crushed biscuits into a bowl and stir in butter until well combined.)

Scoop about 1 heap tablespoon of the biscuit mixture into the paper cases, and press the mixture firmly down to form a base. Bake until set, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool.

Meanwhile, combine the coffee and boiling water in a small bowl until dissolve. Set aside.

Whisk cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, then add coffee mixture and baileys, and whisk until well combined. (Tip: Press mixture through a sieve into a large bowl to remove any stubborn lumps to get a smooth mixture without overmixing.)

Pour mixture into pan. Set pan in a large roasting pan filled halfway with hot water, bake for 25 minutes or until just set. (Tip: To check, give the pan a little shake, it's done when the mixture is firm around the edges and wobbles a little in the middle.) Remove muffin pan from roasting pan, cool cheesecakes (still in the muffin pan) in the oven with the door slightly ajar. Once cheesecakes are cooled completely, transfer cheesecakes in an airtight container and into the fridge to chill overnight.

Before serving, pipe or spoon a tablespoon of whipped cream over cheesecakes and dust with cocoa powder.