• Preheat oven to 320°F. Grease an 8-inch springform pan and line bottom with a parchment round. Grease the sides.
• For the crust, mix together the cookie crumbs and melted butter until well combined. Press evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pan.

Make the filling:

• Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Beat in the flour, then the vanilla, sour cream, sugar and lemon zest until just combined. Beat in the eggs one at a time until just incorporated.
• Pour the filling into the crust and spread evenly. Bake for 55-60 minutes until the center is nearly set. Cool in the oven for 1 hour, then chill for 4 hours.

Make the strawberry topping:

• In a saucepan, simmer the diced strawberries, lemon juice, sugar and vanilla for 10 mins until syrupy. Create a slurry by mixing the cornstarch and water, then stir into the saucepan. Add the halved strawberries and cook 1 min more.
• Allow the strawberry topping to cool and thicken slightly. It should slowly ooze when you drizzle it with a spoon. Adjust thickness if needed by adding a touch more water or cornstarch slurry.
• Remove the cheesecake from the pan and slide onto a serving plate. Spread the strawberry topping evenly over the top, arranging the halved strawberries face-down. Chill for 2 more hours.
• Slice the cheesecake and serve with extra strawberry topping alongside. Leftovers keep refrigerated for 2-3 days.