Lemon Cheesecake with Strawberry and Basil Topping

For the crust:
Preheat oven at 350 F. Grease an 8-inch springform pan.

Make the crust by mixing all the crust ingredients together in a bowl using a fork. Press the mixture onto the bottom of the springform pan.

Bake crust for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven and set aside to cool. Turn down oven temperature to 300 F.

For the filling:
In the bowl of a standing mixer with a paddle attachment, mix cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, vanilla extract, lemon zest and juice until combined. Add egg yolks one at a time, mixing before adding the next. Blend for another 2 minutes until well combined.

In a clean bowl, whip the egg whites until stiff. Gently fold them into the cream cheese mixture.

Pour the filling into the crust. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to release all the air in the batter.

Position rack in the center of oven and place cheesecake on it. Place a shallow pan full of water on the lower rack in the oven.

Bake for an hour, or until the edge of the cheesecake is puffed but the center is still wobbly and wet looking. Then turn off the oven with the door slightly opened and let the cheesecake sit in the oven to cool completely, at least an hour. Remove cake from the oven. Chill in the refrigerator overnight.

For the topping:
In a large saucepan, combine the strawberries, sugar and lemon juice and cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes, or until the sugar has melted and the mixture has thickened slightly. Then use a slotted spoon to remove the strawberries (set them aside in a bowl) and continue to cook for another 5 minutes, or until the syrup has reduced by half. Remove the pan from the heat and let the syrup cool completely.

Spoon the strawberries and syrup over the cheesecake. Garnish with the basil leaves and serve.