PHILADELPHIA Classic Cheesecake

I had a friend ask me to make a cheesecake next time so I had to do some digging around to remember how to even make one. Of course when I do make cheesecakes then this is the recipe that I like to follow. Sometimes I like to add either chocolate or strawberries or even both to the top of the cheesecake. It may sound like it takes a long time to make, but it is great when you take that first bite.

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

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. Loosen cake from rim of pan; cool before removing rim. Refrigerate 4 hours.