Bailey's Irish Cream Cheesecake

  YUM!

 
                     CRUST:
  10   graham crackers -- broken
   1 1/4  c  pecans
     1/4  c  sugar
   6      tbsp   butter -- melted
                        FILLING:
   1 1/2  lbs  cream cheese -- room temperature
     3/4  c  sugar
   3      lg    eggs -- room temperature
     1/3  c    Bailey's Irish Cream
   1      tsp     vanilla
   3      ozs     white chocolate -- broken
                        TOPPING:
   1 1/2  c    sour cream
     1/4  c    powdered sugar
                        GARNISH:
   1 1/2  ozs    white chocolate -- grated
  24     pecan halves

Heat oven to 325 deg.  Butter sides and bottom of a 10 " springform pan and set aside.
In bowl of food processor fitted with knife blade, combine crackers, 1 1/4 c. pecans and
sugar -- process until finely ground.  Add butter and blend using on/off pulse.  Press
crumbs onto bottom and 2 " up sides of prepared pan.  Chill for 20 minutes.

Beat cream cheese and sugar together on medium speed with electric mixer utnil smooth.
In a seperate bowl, whisk eggs, Bailey's and vanilla until just blended.  Beat egg mixture
into cheese mixture until just combined -- don't overbeat!  Finely chop the 3 oz. of white
chocolate and add to the cheese mixute.
Pour filling into crust and bake approximately 50 min. or until centre is just set and edges
begine to look a little dry.
Cool completely on wire rack without removing sides of pan.  Mix together sour cream and
powdered sugar -- spread on cooled cake.  Chill at least two hours before removing
sides of the pan.  Just before serving, sprinkle top with grated white chocolate and pecan
halves.