• A few hours before starting the cheesecake, prepare the lemon curd and set it aside. Take the eggs and cream cheese out of the fridge so they reach room temperature.

Make the crust:

• Grease an 8-inch round cake pan and line it with parchment paper, using metal clips to hold it in place. It doesn’t need to be perfect—creases are fine.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Crush the cookies in a food processor until finely ground. Melt the butter, then mix it with the cookie crumbs and powdered sugar. Press the mixture firmly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan, using a measuring cup to pack it tightly.
• Bake for 10 minutes, then let it cool while preparing the filling. Lower the oven temperature to 325°F.

Make the filling:

• In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth, scraping the bowl as needed to avoid lumps.
• Split a vanilla bean and mix in the seeds along with a pinch of sea salt. Stir in the lemon curd, then add the eggs one at a time.
• While mixing, gradually add the flour. Blend until smooth, but avoid overmixing. If lumps remain, pour the filling through a sieve into the crust, making sure to scrape the bottom of the sieve to use every bit.
• Fill a 13x9-inch sheet pan with water and place the cheesecake inside.
• Bake for 50-60 minutes, until the edges are set and the center has a slight jiggle. If adding a lemon curd layer, spread about half an inch of curd over the top and bake for another 10 minutes in the water bath.
• Turn off the oven, prop the door open with a wooden spoon, and let the cheesecake cool inside for 30 minutes.
• Then, transfer it to the counter and cool for another 30 minutes before refrigerating for at least 8 hours.