St. Patrick’s Day means only one thing to me: SPRING. Usually by March 17th we’ve seen the last of the snow around here, and hopefully have had a handful of days with double digit temperatures. Today I left my puffy coat and Uggs at home, and went to work in a light jacket and flats. It was glorious.

I wanted to make some treats for my co-workers, and while everyone was making Guiness cupcakes this week, I didn’t feel like going that route (although Danielle and Alexis have each made them before and they’re really good). Instead, I went with a Baileys theme and made these little cheesecakes with an Oreo crust.

It was a stealth distribution mission, because I only had 12 (-1 for me!) to give out, but let’s be honest, it’s not hard for me to pick favourites.  A few said they couldn’t really taste the Baileys, but that they were delicious nonetheless. I know the cupcake liners are a little cutesy, but sometimes I like to channel my inner Kindergarten teacher. Happy Spring!

Mini Irish Cream Cheesecakes

Source: crust from Pioneer Woman, cheesecake adapted from Baking Bites

Ingredients

Crust

25 Oreos

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted

Cheesecake

2 packages cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup milk or cream (whatever you have in the fridge)

1/2 cup Baileys (maybe more? untested)

3 large eggs

Directions

1. For crust, crush Oreos in a food processor (or put in a big plastic bag and whack with a rolling pin), then add butter until the crumbs are moistened. Spoon into 12 cupcake liners, and press with your fingers or the back of a spoon until set. Bake at 350 for 5-7 minutes.
2. For cheesecake, blend cream cheese, sugar, milk and Baileys until smooth. (I used the food processor again, but you can use an electric mixer). Add the eggs one a time, blending between each addition. Spoon over crusts, and bake for about 25 minutes. Cheesecakes will puff up and crack, but no one will care 🙂