How to make a speculaas cheesecake?

1. Crumble the speculaas cookies finely in a food processor, or place them in a sturdy bag and roll them finely with a rolling pin. You want an even, sandy crumb without large pieces, because big bits give an uneven base that’s hard to slice.
2. Melt the unsalted butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Mix the melted butter through the speculaas crumbs in a mixing bowl until all the crumbs feel evenly moistened. The mixture should just come together when you press it between your fingers.
3. Line the bottom of a springform pan (22 cm) with parchment paper. Spread the speculaas mixture over the base and press it firmly down with the back of a spoon or the bottom of a glass. Chill the pan for at least 30 minutes so the base can set.
4. Whip the cream in a large, clean mixing bowl with a hand mixer until soft peaks form. Stop as soon as the cream holds its shape but is still airy. Overwhipping will make the cream grainy, and you don’t want that in a cheesecake.
5. Place the cream cheese, powdered sugar, speculaas spice and vanilla extract in a bowl and mix on medium-high speed until smooth and airy. Make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature, otherwise you’ll get lumps that won’t disappear.
6. Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture in two additions. Gently lift from the bottom to the top so you don’t knock out the air. This is what keeps the filling light and creamy rather than heavy and dense.
7. Remove the springform pan from the fridge and spoon the filling over the speculaas base. Smooth the top with a spatula. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight. The cheesecake needs that time to fully set.
8. Carefully remove the cheesecake from the springform pan. Crumble a few speculaas cookies roughly and scatter them over the top. Optionally dust with a pinch of cinnamon and serve immediately, or keep refrigerated until serving.