Fresh basil perfumes this creamy strawberry cheesecake. What grows together goes together.

Scale

1-cup heavy cream

8 fresh basil leaves, plus additional for garnish

Crust

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

1 cup crushed chocolate cookie crumbs (18 Nabisco Chocolate Wafer cookies)

2 tablespoons sugar

4 tablespoons melted butter

Filling

3 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 pound fresh strawberries (reserve 9 berries for garnish and puree the rest)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream

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Heat oven to 325F.
In a microwave safe measuring cup heat heavy cream on HIGH for 1 minute. Bruise basil leaves lightly with your fingers and submerge in hot cream; set aside to steep.
Mix cookie crumbs, sugar and butter until crumbly; press over bottom of 9-inch spring-form pan; bake 8 minutes. Cool on wire rack.
In large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Beat in eggs, strawberry puree (you should have about 1 cup), vanilla, ¼ cup of basil infused heavy cream (cover and refrigerate the remaining basil-cream mixture) and yogurt until well mixed.
Pour batter into crust.
Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until center is just set. Do not over bake.
Cool to room temperature before transferring to the refrigerator to chill completely.
Run a knife around the pan sides. Remove sides of pan.
Remove basil from chilled cream. Add powdered sugar and beat with an electric mixture to stiff peaks.
Garnish top of cheesecake with basil-whipped cream, reserved strawberries and basil sprigs, if desired.

use a flat bottom cup to pat the crumb crust into place and the back of a spoon to smooth around the edge
place a piece of plastic wrap over the bowl of your food processor before securing the top to keep the top from getting dirty (since I hate washing the top)