2 cups crushed chocolate cookie wafers or crumbs / brownie mix
1/3 cup melted butter
3 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine chocolate crumbs with melted butter and pat into 9-inch spring form pan.
Chill completely.

Heat oven to 350 F.

Beat cream and sugar in large bowl until smmoth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Pour over prepared crust.

Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until almost set. Remove from over to wire rack. With knife, loosen cake from side of pan. Cool completely; remove side of pan.

Cover, refrigerate several hours or until chilled. Just before serving, garnish as desired. Cover, refrigerate leftover cheesecake. Serves 10 to 12.

* Cheesecakes are less likely to crack if baked in a water bath.

VARIATIONS:
1. Chocolate Cheesecake: Increase sugar to 1 1/4 cups and add 1/3 cup dark cocoa.
Increase vanilla extract to 1 1/2 tsp.

2. Skor Chocolate Bar Cheesecake: Prepare Vanilla Cheesecake batter as directed.
Stir in 1 1/3 cups Skor chocolate bar, broken into small bits.

3. Chocolate Chip Cheesecake: Prepare Vanilla Cheesecake as directed. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of small semi-sweet chocolate chips into batter.

4. Mocha Cheesecake: Prepare Vanilla Cheesecake using dark cocoa. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons instant coffee granules to batter.

5. Mocha, Skor and Cranberry Cheesecake: Prepare Mocha Cheesecake as directed. Stir 3/4 cup Skor chocolate bar broken in small bits and 3/4 cup dried cranberries into batter.

Recipe source: Hershey International