Baileys & Cherry Cheesecake

Ingredients:

Crust 

• Oreo - 3 Cups 
• Butter (melted) - 1/4 cup plus one tbsp

Filling

• Cream Cheese (room temperature) - 4 cups
• Eggs (room temperature) - 4 large eggs
• Granulated Sugar - 3/4 cup
• Icing Sugar - 1/4 cup 
• Corn Starch or All Purpose Flour - 1 tbsp
• Bailey's or any Irish Cream - 1/3 cup 
• Mixed or Vanilla Extract

Cherry Topping

• Cherries - 3 cups (pits removed) you can do this with fruit
• Sugar - 1/2 cup (feel free to add less or more depending on tartness of fruit)
• Lemon Zest - 1 tsp
• Lemon Juice - 1 tbsp
• Salt - pinch
• Water - 1/2 cup

Method:

Topping

1. Add cherries, sugar, water, salt, lemon zest and juice into a sauce pan.
2. Cook until liquid has been reduced and cherry topping is a thick consistency.
3. Allow to cool down and keep in mind it will thicken up a little more as it cools down.
4. Place into a bowl and refrigerate until you are ready to top off your cake.

Crust and Cake

1. Preheat oven to 325 F
2. Crush oreos until they look like crumbs. I used a food processor for this. You may also put into a large ziploc and use a rolling pin to crush them.
3. Add melted butter into a bowl with crushed oreo, mix and press into the entire bottom of your 9 inch spring form pan
4. Bake in oven for 8 to 10 mins then allow to cool completely
5. You can choose to do this in a food processor, stand mixer or hand held mixer.
   Begin with the room temperature cream cheese and beat until fluffy (approx 3 mins)
6. Add sugar and mix until it is combined. Add eggs one at a time and add cornstarch or flour, and Baileys with the last egg mix until fully incorporated
7. At this point your crust should be completely cooled. Begin to boil a kettle of  water for your water bath.
8. Tightly wrap your spring form pan with aluminum foil to prevent leakage. Not all pans require this but I like to be safe than sorry
9. Strain your cheesecake batter into your cool baked crust to remove any lumps
10. Take a spoon and knock the side of your cheesecake pan a dozen times (this helps remove any air bubbles.
11. Place your filled cake pan into a larger pan and pour boiling water until halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan
12. Bake for 1 hour, edges should appear set and center will have a slight jiggle. Turn oven off and leave the oven door slightly cracked open so cheesecake can rest in the oven for an additional hour
13. Remove cheesecake from the oven and take out of water bath to continue cooling down for another hour or two
14. Once Cheesecake is completely cooled, place into the refrigerator overnight
15. Top with cherries, slice, serve and enjoy!