• Prepare your baking pan. For a round cheesecake use a 9" springform pan. You can also use a 9 X 13" pan if you want to make squares. Spray the pan you are using with cooking spray.

  Preheat oven to 325 ° F.

Filling

• Prepare your filling first since once you open the phyllo pastry you have to work with it quickly so it doesn't dry out.
• Beat cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the salt, vanilla, lemon zest and juice and beat till well mixed.
• Beat in the corn starch until evenly mixed. Slowly beat in the sour cream or yogurt until it is evenly mixed. Do not over beat.

Filo Pastry Base

• Pulse nuts, cinnamon and salt in a blender until finely and uniformly chopped. Do not over process to 'ground' stage. Add melted butter and pusle until just combined.
• To make your base :

  For 9 X 13: pan

  Open your phyllo sheets and lay a sheet out in your pan. Brush with butter, or spray with butter flavoured cooking spray. See Note 1. Make sure to butter or spray the phyllo sheets right up the sides of your pan. Continue layering sheets and spraying until you have 10 sheets forming a solid base in the bottom of your pan. Trim any phyllo that sticks above the edge of your pan.

  9 " Spring from pan:

  Cut your phyllo sheets in to 6" strips lengthwise. Center a strip in the pan and brush or spray. (See Note 1). Add the next strip overlapping but just offsetting. Continue overlapping and layering and moistening until you have used all the phyllo and you have a solid base. Make sure to butter or spray the phyllo sheets right up the sides of your pan. You can choose fold some of the excess above the edge of the pan back into the pan so you have a double edge, or you can trim the excess.
• Cover base evenly with the butter/nut mixture. Pour in the cream cheese filling mixture. Tap the pan on the counter once or twice to remove air and settle filling.
• Bake at 325° about 30 minutes for the 9 X 13" pan or 45-50 minutes for the spring form pan. Top should be golden. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake nother 30 minutes for the 9X 13" or 50 minutes for the springform pan.
• Remove from the oven. Mix the honey, lemon and rose water, if using. Drizzle over the top of the cheesecake and sprinkle evenly with the pistachios.
• You can serve it at room temperature at this point (or shortly after) or refrigerate. The base will get moister after day one and would be best eaten with a fork.

  You can cut the cheesecake and freeze it up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge and serve on a plate with a fork.