#3580 - Chocolate Crust Cheesecake

(by Shirley McNevich)

1/2 cup softened butter
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup flour
1/4 cup Hershey's cocoa
2 - 8oz. Philadelphia cream cheese (softened)
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup Nestle's mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a mixer add softened butter, 1/2 cup white sugar and salt--beat. In a bowl add flour and cocoa--stir with a whisk. Slowly add cocoa mixture to butter mixture--beat. Press the mixture into the bottom of a greased 9" springforms cheesecake pan. In a mixer add cream cheese and 3/4 cup white sugar--beat. Add eggs and vanilla--beat. Reserve 1 cup of the cheesecake batter--set aside. Add 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips to the cheesecake batter (NOT the reserved batter)--stir to mix. Pour the batter over the chocolate crust. Melt the other 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips according to bag directions. Add the melted chocolate to the reserved cheesecake batter--stir well. Drop spoonfuls of the reserved batter on to the top of the cheesecake batter. Wet a butter knife and carefully swirl the two batters (just like making a marble cake). Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until firm. Cool completely. Refrigerate until cold before removing the springform sides from the cheesecake and cutting.