• Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a loaf pan with a parchment paper sling.
• In a bowl, stir together the cookie crumbs, butter and powdered sugar until the crumbs are wet, covered in butter and hold together.
• Press the crumbs into the bottom of the prepared loaf pan and slightly up the sides of the pan.
• Bake the crust for about 7 minutes, until toasty and fragrant. Let the crust cool while you make the filling. Lower the oven temperature to 325 F.

Make the filling

• Set the cream cheese in a bowl and use the back of a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to press down on the cream cheese. This helps remove any lumps.
• Add the sugar, vanilla and salt to the bowl and use a hand mixer to beat it into the cream cheese.
• Add the sour cream and beat until smooth. Add the egg and beat until just combined, don’t over mix the filling.
• At this point, if you can spot lumps in the mix you can press the filling through a fine mesh sieve. If it looks smooth, don’t bother.
• Pour the filling over the crust. Set the pan in a larger baking pan, (an 8x8 or 9x9” square pan will do) and fill the bigger pan halfway with water. This will be the water bath.
• Set the water bath/cheesecake in the oven on the middle rack and bake for about 30-35 minutes, until the cheesecake looks set. It will only jiggle just slightly in the center when it’s done and it will have a matte (rather than shiny) topping.
• Remove the pan(s) from the oven and let the cheesecake cool slightly in the water bath. Then remove it and let it cool on the counter to room temperature.
• Set the cheesecake in the fridge to chill overnight.

Make the stabilized whipped cream cheesecake topping

• Set the sugar, cream cheese, salt and vanilla in a food processor (you can also do this in a bowl with a hand mixer) and blend until smooth. Add the heavy cream and run the food processor on high until thickened.
• Spread the whipped cream over the cheesecake.
• Serve and store cold! Cheesecake will keep for about 5 days without the whipped cream on top, and about 2 with the whipped cream.