Baileys Chocolate Chip Cheesecake



Ingredients:
Crust:

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
6 T (3/4 stick) butter, melted

Filling:

2 1/4 lbs cream cheese, room temperature
1 2/3 cups sugar
5 eggs, room temperature
1 cup Baileys Irish Cream
1 T. vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Coffee Cream:

1 cup chilled whipping cream
2 T. sugar
1 t. instant coffee powder

Method:
For crust: Preheat oven to 325F. Coat 9" diameter springform pan with nonstick vegetable oil spray. Combine crumbs and sugar in pan. Stir in butter. Press mixture into bottom and 1" up sides of pan. Bake until light brown, about 7 minutes. Maintain oven temperature at 325F.

For filling: Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually mix in sugar. Beat eggs in one at a time. Blend in Baileys and vanilla.

Sprinkle half of chocolate chips over crust. Spoon in filling. Sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips. Bake cake until puffed, springy in center and golden brown, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Cool cake completely.

For cream: Beat cream, sugar, and coffee powder until peaks form. Spread mixture over cooled cake.

Garnish cake with chocolate curls.