1/4 cup butter, melted

1-1/4 cups crushed graham crackers

5 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1 (14-ounce) can Sweetened Condensed Milk (NOT evaporated milk)

4 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup unsifted flour

1 can raspberry pie filling or Raspberry Sauce Recipe (follows)

1 package (12 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup cream

Pre-heat oven to 300° degrees.

Prepare Crumb Crust:  Stir together butter and crushed graham crackers. Press onto bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch spring form pan.

Cheesecake:  In a large mixer bowl, beat cheese until fluffy.  gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk until smooth.  Beat in eggs and vanilla then flour.  Pour mixture into the prepared spring form pan.  Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until center is set. Turn off oven. Remove cake from oven.  Run a knife along the edge of the pan to loosen the cake.  Return the cake to the oven. Cool in the oven for 4-5 hours.  Chill.  Refrigerate leftovers.

Toppings:  Place the chocolate chips into a microwave-safe container.  Add the cream.  Microwave on High 2 minutes at a time, stopping to stir, until chocolate is melted and mixed with the cream.  Serve warm.

Serve the raspberry pie filling in one bowl and the chocolate sauce in another along with the cheesecake.  Let your guests choose their topping combination:  raspberry only, raspberry and chocolate, chocolate only, or plain vanilla cheesecake (my choice).

If using raspberry pie filling - mix with 1 TB lemon juice.

  RASPBERRY SAUCE

2 quarts raspberries - fresh or frozen, thawed
1 cup sugar (or more to taste)
3 Tablespoons corn starch

Place the raspberries and sugar into a large saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the mixture boils. Place the cornstarch into a small bowl. Slowly stir juice from the raspberry/sugar mixture into the cornstarch until a smooth consistency is achieved. Slowly pour the cornstarch mix into the raspberry mixture stirring constantly. Keep stirring until the mixture thickens slightly. Remove from heat. Serve warm or cold.

I like to change the crust according to whim.  Other choices: 

  Chocolate or vanilla sandwich cookies, crushed.  Add 1/2 chopped walnuts.  Press into the bottom of the pan.

  Crush vanilla (or chocolate) wafer cookies and press them into the bottom of the pan.

  Nilla vanilla wafers, crushed.  Mix with 1/4 cup melted butter and press into the bottom of the pan.