Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake

This is one of the first cheesecakes I ever tried to make and it is still a favorite.  It looks beautiful served with a few extra cherries on top. 

Crust
2 cups Oreo cookie crumbs
3 Tbls. butter, melted

Filling
4 8-oz. packages cream cheese, softened
3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 can cherry pie filling

Glaze
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 325 degrees.  In a medium bowl, combine crust ingredients and mix well.  Press into the bottom and up the sides of a 10 inch springform pan.  In a large bowl, beat cream cheese on medium speed until smooth.  Add one egg at a time, beating well after each one.  Beat in sugar and almond extract until very smooth.  Add 1/2 cup whipping cream, beat well again.  Spoon about 3 cups of the cream cheese mixture into the crust, spreading evenly.  Carefully drop by spoonfuls, 1 cup of the pie filling, evenly over the cream cheese layer.  Spoon remaining cream cheese mixture evenly over pie filling and smooth out carefully.  Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes or until center is set and not jiggly.  Cool on a rack 1 hour.  Heat 1/2 cup whipping cream to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly so it doesn't burn.  Once boiling, remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips until melted.  Line a cookie sheet with wax paper. Remove the sides of the springform pan and place the cheesecake on the cookie sheet.  Spread chocolate topping over cheesecake and let it run down the sides.  Refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving.  Top each slice with a spoonful of the remaining pie filling.