This week’s French Fridays with Dorie recipe was simple yet elegant.
Layers of finely sliced apples, brushed with melted butter and sprinkled with spiced sugar.
Then baked slowly for a long, long time.
Like I said, simple and elegant.
Except for the fact that Australia is in the midst of a heatwave.
A heat wave that is breaking records.
(pictures of a dust storm off Western Australia on Ninemsn)
A heatwave that would make keeping your oven on, at any temp, uncomfortable.
Let alone 4 hours of baking!
So this recipe involved planning and cultivating a close relationship with the weather channel!
My memories of the 43 degrees celsius (109.5 degrees farenheit) day last week were just too raw.
So I waited till evening to begin baking these.
My apples went in at 8.30pm and I turned the oven off and went to bed at 12.30am.
My latest tv obsession, The Walking Dead, kept me entertained while I waited 🙂
The next morning, my usual oats…
Became mighty fancy!
I really enjoyed this recipe.
As a decadent topping for simple oats.
Or on its own with a dollop of sweetened cream.
I am curious to see what the rest of the French Fridays with Dorie group thought of this recipe.
Kitchen Therapy 
January 12, 2013 at 12:36 am
I also liked it in combination with something else. Looks great and good luck with the weather (in Europe we are in Winter time right now).
January 12, 2013 at 12:50 am
Wow, what a lovely bake! Hmmmmm, I can tell it’s real yummy! =)
January 12, 2013 at 1:07 am
Ooh, what a fancy breakfast 🙂 And that dust storm picture is incredible…
January 12, 2013 at 3:21 am
I am sure the apples tasted great with your oatmeal!
January 12, 2013 at 3:21 am
Ah, we get those dust storms here in the AZ desert…we call it the Haboob…a Middle-Eastern name from their sand storms? Anyway, I can’t wait to get back to Summer. Beginning tonight, we will have the coldest 5 days in the last 25 years…will most likely break records. We’ll likely lose many plants and our gardens…but that’s Mother Nature in action, can’t worry about it. Anyway, what a lovely idea to top your breakfast oats with this apple dish. Always enjoy your posts.
January 12, 2013 at 5:27 am
Your apples look super yummy – I am about to get these going at work and I’m excited! That dust storm pic is crazy!
January 12, 2013 at 5:27 am
Wow…I’m stuck on your temps being 109 F. I don’t think I’d turn on a light bulb in that heat. Without reading your caption, I thought the photo of the dust storm was a wave of water…incredible!
Glad you were able to get these done…they were quite good! Love your fancy breakfast…a perfect topping!
Have a great weekend!
January 12, 2013 at 7:43 am
Very impressive! It’s chilly here and I didn’t love the idea of having the oven on for so long. But yours turned out perfectly!!
Amazing storm picture too!
January 12, 2013 at 9:37 am
Beautiful job:) What a great idea using the apples for breakfast.
January 12, 2013 at 2:51 pm
Lovely pictures! That is one incredible (scary) dust storm. Very cool picture. Just reading the above comment I realized I’m on the wrong page! The apples in your oatmeal look delicious. This recipe sounds devine. I thought I was on the pizza post – your pizza looks great too!
January 12, 2013 at 3:55 pm
I love the circle of apples! How cute!
January 12, 2013 at 11:31 pm
Using it over oatmeal is just the thing to do, I wish I had thought of that! I had it in my fridge quite a few days and finally gave what was left to my dad because I didn´t know how to keep eating it.
January 13, 2013 at 1:30 am
That dust storm looks intense.
We have the exact opposite weather up here – with sub-zero temperatures. Brrrr. I don’t think I would have wanted the oven on either if I were in your shoes.
January 13, 2013 at 4:37 am
I am ashamed to say that as I have been reading about the horrific Australian fires and hot weather, I’ve been thinking of friends in Australia and that, of course, included Gaye Middleton (Cakelaw) but I didn’t remember that you and your family also live in Australia. We who live in the western United States endure these devastating fires and, with wind, it’s hard to contain them. Last year Colorado really suffered. So, my thoughts and prayers are with your country in a special way right now. That you would even make a resipe that took hours in the oven is phenomenal. Your result was beautiful and it was a darling idea to plop it on top of your oats. In fact, I made only 3 ramekins but have eaten only two. Tomorrow morning I am going to make my oatmeal (which I have 3 to 4 mornings a week) and drop my last mound of apple goodness on the top my hot oatmeal in your honor. Mmmmmmm Take care and I hope things improve Down Under.
January 13, 2013 at 5:58 am
I’ve been following your weather. It sounds brutal! We’ve had heat and drought in the last few years too but not as severe as you’re experiencing, at least not here in Oklahoma. We’ve had our share of red skies though and worry about a Dust Bowl Redux! Hope your weather improves soon! Your apples look delicious and oatmeal is a good idea!
January 13, 2013 at 7:50 am
Ya – the only bad thing about making these was having the oven on for so long in this heat. I like the idea of having the apples on cereal – yum!
January 13, 2013 at 7:52 am
Oh dear- your weather sounds like our summers in Texas- in a word, brutal!
But your apples turned out gorgeous-what a grand idea to top the oatmeal with them for breakfast- yummy!
January 13, 2013 at 12:41 pm
These apples are such a wonderful treat for breakfast! The weather everywhere is all messed up. I hope things get back to normal soon…
January 13, 2013 at 4:53 pm
That dust storm looks horrifying. We have mild weather most of the year in Vancouver (it’s earthquakes that we worry about), but much of the rest of the province and the Prairies suffer from heatwaves and forest fires during the summer. It sounds like a particularly devastating year in Australia.
I love your idea of serving these with your morning oatmeal.
January 14, 2013 at 12:07 pm
we had ours dumped on to our porridge! 🙂
January 14, 2013 at 2:37 pm
That picture of the dust storm is both stunning and terrifying at the same time! Your apples look terrific and perfect on top of oatmeal. I wish I had thought of adding some to mine.
January 14, 2013 at 11:25 pm
It is so interesting to see what the other Doristas are experiencing ! I kept thinking what a lovely cold winter’s dessert this is (even if I ran into plastic wrap issues 🙂 – but forgot how half the world is in heat. 109 degrees – oh my ! Bonus points to you for staying up late and that show is my 16 year old’s favorite. Now I have to be sure to tune in myself !!!
January 17, 2013 at 12:22 pm
Oh these would be great on top of oats for breakfast! How decadent!
January 20, 2013 at 1:19 am
To serve the terrific “Pommes Confites” on oatmeal certainly seems like a very special breakfast treat – it must have tasted incredible. Sorry that I am running a week late with my comments but I am trying to catch up and I am glad that I found the time to look at your posts!