Preheat the oven to 350. Add the butter to a pan over medium heat. Stir while the butter melts. After a few minutes the butter will begin to bubble. Keep stirring. After a couple more minutes, the butter will foam up, then the foaming will subside and you'll be left with brown, nutty smelling butter. Take off the heat.
Add the brown sugar and stir until combined. Let the mixture cool for at least 10 minutes. After it has cooled, add the eggs, one at a time, stirring between each. Add the vanilla and stir again.
Add flour, cornstarch, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Stir until just combined, making sure there are no big lumps. Peel and core the apples, then chop them into small pieces, about ¼" cubes. Add the apples and stir to combine.
Transfer the mixture to a 9x13" pan lined with parchment paper (if you don't have parchment paper, thoroughly grease the pan). Pour the mixture into the pan and spread it evenly out. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the top is beginning to brown and the middle is just set.
Let the blondies cool completely before topping with the cheesecake layer. If you are in a hurry, the blondies can cool in the fridge.
Combine the room temp cream cheese and sugar in a bowl. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar for 2 minutes. Add cinnamon and vanilla and mix them in.
In a separate bowl whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Transfer the whipped cream to the cream cheese mixture. Carefully fold the whipped cream in, being careful to not deflate the whipped cream.
Once the blondies are completely cooled, add the cheesecake mixture on top of the blondies. Smooth the layer out, cover the pan with plastic wrap, and transfer it to the fridge. The cheesecake layer takes at least 4 hours to set up, but can stay in the fridge overnight. *for more "make ahead of time" tips, see the blog post above.
Just before serving, make the brown butter maple glaze. Add the butter to a small pan. Stir as the butter melts. After a few minutes the butter will begin to bubble. Keep stirring. After a couple more minutes, the butter will foam up, then the foaming will subside and you'll be left with brown, nutty smelling butter. Take off the heat.
Add the powdered sugar and maple syrup and whisk to combine. Add cinnamon, vanilla, and pinch of salt. Whisk until the mixture is smooth.
Slice the blondies with a sharp knife. Right before serving, drizzle the glaze over the blondies and enjoy!!
