How to make a kruidnoten cheesecake?

1. Grind 250 g kruidnoten in a food processor until you have a coarse, sandy crumb. A few small pieces can remain for some extra bite in the base. Don't have a food processor? Put the kruidnoten in a zip-top bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
2. Melt 100 g unsalted butter in a saucepan over low heat. Stir the melted butter through the ground kruidnoten until everything feels evenly moistened. This ensures the base holds together well after chilling in the fridge.
3. Line the bottom of a 24 cm springform pan with parchment paper. Spread the kruidnoten mixture over the base and press it firmly and evenly with the rounded side of a spoon or the bottom of a glass. Put the springform pan in the fridge for 30 minutes so the base firms up before you add the filling.
4. Whip 400 ml whipping cream until stiff peaks form in a large, cold mixing bowl. Make sure both the bowl and the cream are well chilled; that helps the cream whip faster and stay stable. Whip until you have firm peaks, but stop before the cream becomes grainy.
5. In a second mixing bowl, beat 600 g cream cheese at room temperature with 120 g powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed until you have a smooth, lump-free mixture. Cream cheese at room temperature mixes much more easily than cold cream cheese and prevents lumps in the filling.
6. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. Use a rubber spatula and fold the cream in with large, broad strokes. This preserves the air in the whipped cream and keeps the filling light and creamy instead of heavy and compact.
7. Take the springform pan with the set base out of the fridge. Spoon the cream cheese filling onto the base and smooth the top with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Tap the pan a few times gently on the countertop to release any air bubbles.
8. Cover the springform pan with plastic wrap and chill the cheesecake for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight. The longer it chills, the firmer the filling becomes and the cleaner you can slice it.
9. Remove the cheesecake from the fridge just before serving. Garnish the top with 50 g whole kruidnoten and dust lightly with 1 teaspoon cinnamon or powdered sugar. Run a sharp knife under warm water, dry it off and cut the cake into wedges. Repeat this for each cut to get neat, clean slices.