There is something about ending a meal with a cheesecake that makes it special. My specialty is baking and cheesecakes are my favorite dessert to make . . . I think I missed my calling to be a pastry chef! Needless to say, I have made my share of a variety of cheesecakes.
My favorite source for my cheesecake recipes is my old Philadelphia Cream Cheese cookbook that I have had since I was a very young adult. Although I still refer to that old cookbook, one of my favorite food websites is Philadelphia Cream Cheese.
This cheesecake is one of the most beautiful cheesecakes I have seen . . . I will be making this on the next special occasion that comes up!
Ingredients
1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 Tbsp. sugar
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
4 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping (Do not thaw.)
6 oz. BAKER'S Bittersweet Chocolate
1 cup fresh raspberries
Directions
Heat oven to 325°F.
Mix graham crumbs, 3 Tbsp. sugar and butter; press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan.
Beat cream cheese, 1 cup sugar and vanilla with mixer until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Pour over crust.
Bake 55 min. or until center is almost set. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim. Refrigerate cheesecake 4 hours.
Microwave COOL WHIP and chocolate in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 to 2-1/2 min. or until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring after each minute.
Cool 15 min.; slowly pour over cheesecake. Garnish with raspberries.
Source: Philadelphia Cream Cheese
