Before beginning, set all ingredients out on the counter to come to room temperature. This is very important because it ensures a creamy cheesecake.

Preheat the oven to 325ºF and put a large pot of water on to boil. When it reaches a boiling point, pour it into a casserole dish or oven-safe pot placed on the bottom rack in the oven. This acts as a makeshift water bath and turns the oven into a “steam room”, ensuring that your crust won’t crack.

To make the cookie crust, start by creaming together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Then incorporate the egg and vanilla until fully combined. 

Next, add the flour, baking soda, and salt and mix until just combined. Then, fold in the chocolate chips. 

Scoop all of the cookie dough out of the bowl and press it into the bottom of a greased 9-inch springform pan. Make sure to press the dough up the sides of the pan a bit to make a crust. Set the pan aside.

To make the cheesecake filling, add the cream cheese to a bowl and beat with a standing or hand-held mixer for 30 seconds, or until smooth. Add the sugar and cream together for about 1 minute. Then, add the sour cream, heavy cream, and vanilla. Combine.

Crack the eggs into a separate bowl. Add the eggs one at a time to the cream cheese, scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition.  Combine everything well until you have a very smooth cheesecake batter.

Pour the cheesecake batter over the cookie crust into the springform pan.

Slide the cheesecake into the oven on the middle rack. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the sides look set but the center still jiggles slightly when nudged.  

Turn the oven off and prop it open a little bit. Allow the cheesecake to cool for an hour in the oven.

After the hour has passed, allow the cheesecake to cool completely before placing in the fridge to cool for at least 2 hours.

Slice with a hot, clean knife and serve!