Irish Cream Chocolate Cheesecake

It's been a looooooong time since I posted a recipe, so it's about time, and in honor of this weekend's Chocolate-Fest at Amy's, I give you a tried and true personal favorite:

Irish Cream Chocolate Cheesecake

Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 1 Hour 20 Minutes Ready In: 9 Hours 20 Minutes
Yields: 12 servings

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs (Crushed Oreo or similar)
1/3 cup confectioners' (powdered) sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup butter, to be melted
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (yes, same as above, you need it twice)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup Irish cream liqueur (love that Bailey's)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a large bowl, mix together the cookie crumbs, confectioners' sugar and 1/3 cup cocoa powder. Add melted butter and stir until well mixed. Pat into the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes; set aside. Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).

2. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, white sugar, 1/4 cup cocoa and flour. Beat at medium speed until well blended and smooth. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Blend in the sour cream and Irish cream liqueur; mixing on low speed. Pour filling over baked crust.

3. Bake at 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C), and continue baking for 60 minutes.

4. With a knife, loosen cake from rim of pan. Let cool, then remove the rim of pan. Chill before serving. If your cake cracks, a helpful tip is to dampen a spatula and smooth the top, then sprinkle with some chocolate wafer crumbs.

TIPS:
If the top of your cheesecake cools too fast and cracks, you can also cover those unsightly blemishes with fruit (like strawberries or raspberries) or a chocolate whipped cream (use real whipped cream, you'll taste the difference)

This also makes a YUMMY cheesecake if you substitute Kahlua (or any coffee liqueur) or Grand Marnier (any good Triple Sec will do, I suppose) for the Irish Cream. Amaretto or Frangelico might also be nice, but I haven't tried them.

Enjoy!