Coconut Chocolate Almond Cheese Cake

1 1/2 cups Nabisco chocolate wafer cookie crumbs (28 to 30 cookies)
3 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
4 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 (14-ounce) package flaked coconut
1 (11.5 ounce) package milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup slivered almonds (toasted)
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Garnish if desired: additional toasted chopped almonds

Stir together cookie crumbs, 3 Tbsp. sugar, and butter or margarine; press mixture into bottom of a 10-inch spring form pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes.  Cool.

Beat cream cheese, eggs, and 1 cup sugar at medium speed with electric mixer until fluffy.  Stir in coconut, milk chocolate chips, almonds, and vanilla.  Pour into pan over cooled crust.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.  Cool on wire rack.  Place semisweet chocolate chips in zip-top plastic bag; seal.  Submerge bag in warm water until chocolate melts.  Snip a tiny hole in one corner of bag; drizzle chocolate over cheesecake. Garnish, if desired by sprinkling additional toasted almond slivers around top edge of cake. Cover and chill 8 hours or up to 5 days. 

I had never had much luck with cheesecake until I tried this recipe from Southern Living.  It turned out great and tastes fabulous.