Jolene's Cheesecake and Marble Cheesecake

I used to be in charge of a hall in my dorm during college. I organized a group to go to various professor's homes and have their wives teach us a favorite recipe. This is one of the more memorable ones I've saved. The professor and his wife, Jolene, are also the more memorable of the people I met during college. I often substitute Neufchatel cheese for the cream cheese. It doesn't make it healthy but a little less fattening is good. Cooking time includes initial cooling but not refrigerator-cooling time.

• Ready In: 3 hrs 30 mins
• Serves: 12-16
• Yields: 1 cheesecake

Ingredients

• 2  cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1⁄4 cup sugar
• 1⁄2 cup butter, melted
• 1 1⁄2 lbs cream cheese
• 1  cup sugar
• 3  eggs
• 2  teaspoons vanilla
• 3  semi-sweet chocolate baking squares, for marbled cheesecake only

Directions

1. For crust, mix graham cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1/2 cup melted butter. Press mixture firmly into greased pan.
2. Beat together cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla for about three minutes. Then add eggs one at a time.
3. For marbled cheesecake, add melted chocolate to 1/3 of the batter. Then pour 1/2 of the white mixture into the crust and 1/2 of the chocolate mixture on top of it. Continue by alternating layers. Swirl with a knife to marble the filling.
4. Bake at 300 degrees for one hour. Turn off the oven but leave the cheesecake in the oven for one or two hours. Allow the cheesecake to cool thoroughly before putting into the refrigerator. Serve well chilled.