1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease a springform tin (23cm)* and line with baking parchment. Set aside.

2. Add the cookies to a freezer bag and crush with a rolling pin until you get fine crumbs. Add to a bowl and mix with the sugar and ground cinnamon. Next, add the melted butter and mix until the crumbs are evenly moist. Pour into the prepared baking tin and press to the bottom and sides – the sides of the crust should be about 5cm high. Place in the oven and bake for about 5 minutes. Take it out of the oven and let it cool down a bit.

3. Reduce the temperature of the oven to 160°C (320°F). Add the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract to a large bowl and mix until well combined. Divide the eggs and add the egg yolks to the bowl and mix them in. Add the egg whites with a pinch of salt to a separate bowl and whisk until soft peaks form. Add the whisked egg whites to the large bowl and fold them in carefully – try to keep as much volume as possible. Pour into the pre-baked crust, wiggle a bit to get a smooth top and to get rid of any air bubbles under the surface. Place the cake in the oven and bake it for about 60 minutes. Turn off the oven, open the oven door slightly and let the cheesecake cool down for about 20-25 minutes inside the oven, then remove it from the oven and let it cool down on a wire rack. Run a sharp knife around the cake to loosen it from the tin – that should help a bit to get fewer cracks in the surface of the cheesecake. Let it cool down completely.

4. For the topping add the cold heavy cream to a bowl and whisk until stiff peaks form. Add the sour cream, sugar, and vanilla extract to a bowl and mix until well combined. Add the whipped cream and fold it in. Pour that cream on top of the cooled cheesecake and spread it evenly all over the surface of the cake – best way to cover any cracks. Place in the fridge, cover lightly and let cool down overnight. Remove from the tin and transfer to a serving plate.