Blend the first four ingredients in a food processor and pulse until the dough clumps. The dough will be crumbly; press into an 8″-9” spring form pan whose bottom (but not sides) has been lined with parchment paper. Press crumbs with your fingers to make a flat crust. Bake at 400ºF for just ten minutes and then remove from oven.

Beat ingredients 5 through 11 with beaters or in a food processor until the mixture is smooth. Using 4 ounces of cream cheese will result in a “skinny” cheesecake, so using 8 ounces will provide more cheese custard. If you like a lighter cheesecake, use a second egg, if you prefer a dense one, stick to one egg.

Pour into the pre-baked spring form pan. Bake at 400ºF for 20-30 minutes, until filling has puffed up slighted and is very slightly browned. The deeper the custard layer, the longer the baking time.

Immediately after removing the tart from the oven, sprinkle the cheesecake with the lemon/basil/sugar topping ingredients which have been chopped together.

To make the lemon basil topping, chop basil leaves and lemon zest with sugar to make a mixture that will sprinkle well. There is nothing magic about the proportions, so do this a bit according to your taste. The mixture, when sprinkled on the warm cheesecake, will turn slightly crusty.

Let the cheesecake cool completely before slicing and serving.