Bailey's Mint Chocolate Marscapone Cheesecake With Mint Chocolate Brownie Crust

Mint, chocolate, liqueur, and 2 kinds of cheese...a tantalizing blend stirred up in my kitchen to form a dainty little delicacy layered with flavors that will arouse your palate and pleasure your senses.

I'm doing a series of as many cheesecakes as I can dream up with different filling and crust ideas. As scrumptious as it would be, I didn't want to stack my frig or freezer with the full size version so I decided to make mini cheesecakes. Why have 1 piece of something when you can enjoy mini(s) :) This strategy seems to go over well with guests too because it’s so rich.

Mint Chocolate Liqueur Cheesecake With A Mint Chocolate Brownie Crust

Crust Ingredients

2 oz. unsweetened chocolate

1 stick unsalted butter

2 large eggs

1 C. sugar

½ tsp. vanilla extract

½ C all purpose flour, sifted

½ tsp. fresh chocolate mint, ground fine (this is a plant I grow and it tastes like a Peppermint Pattie. If you don’t have this herb you can use ½ tsp. of dried mint or mint extract. It won’t have exactly the same chocolate and mint flavor but will have mint)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 muffin tins with baking cups. I prefer the foil liners because they hold the shape of the cheesecake better.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a 2 quart bowl in the microwave on high for 3 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until the chocolate is completely melted. Add the eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Mix well with a spatula. Add the flour and stir to combine. Fold in chocolate mint herb.

Pour approximately ½ tbsp. of batter in each of the muffin cups. Spray back of spoon with cooking spray and smooth out batter. Bake until set but still slightly soft, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Cheesecake Ingredients

4 oz cream cheese, room temperature

4 oz marscapone cheese, room temperature

1/3 C white granulated sugar

1/8 tsp. salt

1 large egg, room temperature

½ tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 tsp. Bailey’s Irish Crème with Mint Chocolate

¼ Cup 60% bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled

¼ Cup sour crème, room temperature

While crust is baking, prepare cheesecake. Using an electric or hand mixer beat cream cheese and marscapone until creamy and smooth. It’s VERY IMPORTANT to beat on low speed and only enough to combine everything with cheesecakes to avoid cracking.

Add sugar and salt, beating to combine. Scrape down sides of bowl so everything gets blended. Add eggs, one at a time, blending well. Add the vanilla, Baileys Irish Crème and Mint Chocolate liqueur, sour crème, and melted chocolate. Beat just until incorporated. Again, it's VERY IMPORTANT to not over mix.

Distribute batter evenly between muffin cups. Bake for approximately 20 minutes until firm, but center is still wobbly and looks a little wet. One more VERY IMPORTANT tip…Cheesecake must be removed from the oven when it looks like it’s not done. Otherwise the top may crack. It can be challenging and may take more than once to reach the delicate baking balance for these delightfully creamy delicacies.

Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Make sure they’re completely cooled before you refrigerate to avoid condensation forming on top of cakes. These need to cool and set in the frig for at least a few hours, ideally overnight, otherwise they won't be the right texture. Store in tupperware containers for up to a week in the refrigerator or 3 to 4 months in the freezer.

To thaw them out remove from freezer and take cheesecakes out of the containers and place on wire racks. Dry out the Tupperware to prevent condensation from dripping onto cakes. When they’ve thawed place back in containers to store or transport.

As you sink the spoon in through the pillowy mint whipped creme, then the dense chocolate cheese custard, soft brownie crust, and finally, a hit of chocolate mint! This is how the flavors roll over your tongue, in waves! Close your eyes, savor, dive in for another bite....