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.

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.

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.