Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C).

Use a food processor to crush the cookies into crumbs. Alternatively you can place them into a bag and crush them with a rolling pin.

Combine the crushed cookies, melted butter, brown sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Stir with a spoon, making sure that the brown sugar is dispersed evenly.

Transfer the crumb mixture into a 9" springform pan. Spread it out evenly to the edges with the spoon. Then, use the flat bottom of a glass to press the crumb mixture down into the bottom and up the sides, packing it in tightly.

Place the springform pan on a larger cookie tray and bake in the preheated oven for 8 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven and let it cool. Lower the oven temperature to 310°F (155°C)

Combine the granulated sugar and cornstarch in a large bowl. Mix together to break up any cornstarch lumps.

Add the softened cream cheese into a large bowl or stand mixer. Using a paddle attachment, beat it until it's creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl well to prevent lumps.

Add the sour cream, heavy cream, vanilla, and salt into the cream cheese mixture. Mix just until smooth, scrape down the bowl, and mix again.

Add the eggs into the cheesecake batter, one by one. Beat the egg into the batter, stopping as soon as the egg incorporates. Scrape down the bowl between each egg. Set the cheesecake batter aside while you work on the pumpkin batter.

In a large, clean bowl, combine the brown sugar and cornstarch together. Add cream cheese and mix until combined.

Then add pumpkin puree, salt, cream, and pumpkin pie spice. Mix and scrape down the bowl.

Add the egg, mix just until combined, and scrape down the bowl.

Alternating batters, pour around one half cup of batter into the crust. Use a knife or spatula to gently swirl the top briefly. Don't swirl too much or else you'll mix the batters together and won't get distinct definition between the two flavors.

To make a water bath, place the cheesecake pan into a slightly larger pan or shallow pot that it fits into. The tighter the fit the better the results! Place into an even larger pan and transfer into the oven. See water bath alternatives in the notes below.

Pour boiling hot water into the largest pan, so that it comes up at least halfway up the cheesecake pan. You may need to add a few kettles full of boiling water.

Bake the cheesecake in the preheated oven (310°F or 155°C) for 80 minutes. It is ready when the edges are set and the middle is still jiggly. It will continue baking as it cools.

Leave the cheesecake inside the oven for 30 minutes with the door closed. Afterwards, remove the cheesecake from the water bath and let cool completely to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Pro Tip: Pop your bowl and whisk attachment into the freezer 5 minutes before getting started for a very thick whipped cream.

Add the cold cream, vanilla extract, and sugar into a large bowl or stand mixer. Whip the mixture with a wire whisk attachment until stiff peaks form. It’s ready when it’s thick, creamy, and holds its shape. Transfer into a piping bag.

Pipe whipped cream onto the border of the cheesecake. Sprinkle crumbs from the crust over the whipped cream and decorate with cinnamon sticks and anise seed pods.