Apple Blondies:

1. Preheat your oven to 350F. Grease a 9x13" baking pan and line the bottom and sides with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Combine the butter for the blondies and for the frosting (a total of 1 cup + 5 tablespoons). Add them to a medium saucepan.
3. Cook the butter on medium heat, while whisking, until it melts, sizzles, and eventually turns a rich brown color and smells toasted.
4. Divide the butter again: pour 1 cup into a large bowl for the blondies and the remainder in a medium bowl for the frosting. The butter will have lost some volume after browning so the amount for the frosting will be around 3-4 tablespoons now.
5. Place the bowl with the lesser amount of brown butter into the fridge so it can solidify for the frosting.
6. To the large bowl with the 1 cup of hot brown butter, whisk in the brown sugar to moisten.
7. Whisk in the eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla to combine.
8. Lastly, mix in the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt until you have a streak free batter. Take care not to overmix.
9. Pour the batter into your prepared pan and set aside to prep the spiced apples.
10. In a medium bowl, toss together the apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Sprinkle the apples over the blondie batter.
11. Bake the blondies in the center of your preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until lightly brown around the edges and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean with a few fudgy crumbs.
12. Cool the blondie completely to room temperature in the pan. You can leave it in the pan or use the parchment paper to pull it out and onto your serving tray once it's cooled.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1. Check on the butter for the frosting in the fridge. It should have solidified to the consistency of softened butter. If it's too firm, let it sit a room temperature for a few minutes to soften. If it's still liquid, keep it in the fridge for a few more minutes.
2. Add the cream cheese to the bowl with the softened brown butter. Use an electric mixer fitted with the beater attachment or a wooden spoon to cream together until smooth.
3. Mix in the powdered sugar on low until dissolved. Finally, mix in the vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and 1 tbsp of maple syrup. If it's too thick, mix in another tablespoon of maple syrup to reach your desired consistency.
4. Spread the frosting over the cooled blondies. You can slice and serve right away but the frosting will be quite sticky. You can also pop the bars in the fridge for a few minutes to allow the frosting to set if you want sharper cuts.