Brownie Sundae Cheesecake

Ingredients

• 1 cup 3/4-inch brownie pieces(recipe follows)
• CHOCOLATE CRUMB CRUST(recipe follows)
• 4 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup REESE'S Chocolate Peanut Butter Topping OR 1/4 cup HERSHEY'S Hot Fudge Topping thinned with 1 teaspoon milk

Directions

1. 1 Prepare brownie recipe using recipe below or your own favorite recipe.
   
2. 2 Heat oven to 350°F. Prepare CHOCOLATE CRUMB CRUST; cool slightly. Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Gradually add eggs, beating well after each addition. Pour batter into prepared crust.
   
3. 3 Sprinkle brownie pieces over cheesecake surface; push pieces into batter. Drop topping by teaspoonfuls onto surface of cheesecake. With knife or metal spatula, swirl gently through batter for marbled effect. Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until almost set.* Remove from oven to wire rack. With knife, loosen cake from side of pan; cool.
   
4. 4 Cover; refrigerate. Just before serving, garnish as desired. Cover; refrigerate leftover cheesecake. 10 to 12 servings.
   
   BEST BROWNIES
   1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted
   1 cup sugar
   1 teaspoon vanilla extract
   2 eggs
   1/2 cup all-purpose flour
   1/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
   1/4 teaspoon baking powder
   1/4 teaspoon salt
   
   Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 8 or 9-inch square baking pan. Stir together butter, sugar and vanilla in bowl. Add eggs; beat well with spoon. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; gradually add to egg mixture, beating until well blended. Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completley in pan on wire rack.
   
   CHOCOLATE CRUMB CRUST: Heat oven to 350°F. combine 1-1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs (about 45 wafers, crushed), 6 tablespoons powdered sugar, 6 tablespoons HERSHEY'S Cocoa and 6 tablespoons butter or margarine (melted). Press crumb mixture onto bottom and 1/2 to 1 inch up side of 9-inch springform pan. Bake 8 minutes; cool slightly.
   
   *Cheesecakes are less likely to crack if baked in a waterbath.