The Trader Joe's Apple Tart Ina Garten Loves To Use For Entertaining

Whether Santa Claus and your family are coming to town for the holidays or you're hosting a low-key housewarming party with a long guest list, one of the most important parts of entertaining is keeping partygoers well-fed. But with so much planning to do, you might find that baking and serving a homemade pie is simply out of the question. And while it may come as a surprise, "Barefoot Contessa" star Ina Garten reported to Today she has been through the same exact scenario.

That's right, according to Garten, even professional chefs can find themselves at their local grocery store on a Saturday morning trying to find something tasty to serve on their impending party night. In fact, the food world icon has shared her easy-is-best policy with Today in the past when she noted that holiday entertainers could save themselves a lot of trouble by investing in store-prepped appetizers for Thanksgiving. But when it comes to sweets, Garten told Today there is one store-bought tart that she loves to serve hungry guests. And it comes straight off of Trader Joe's store shelves.

A treat composed of apples and apricot jelly, Ina Garten has her own recipe for French apple tarts on her website. However, she told Today when a few friends dropped by to visit her, she didn't head to the kitchen to start making dough and slicing apples. Instead, she bought a French apple tart from Trader Joe's that was "absolutely delicious."

According to the grocer's website, the apple tart in question is composed of that signature apricot jelly flavor and uses both Granny Smiths and Northern Spy apples in its filling. And Trader Joe's claims its tart recipe even delighted France's President. Apparently, the pastry chef who developed the recipe once served it to the world leader to much fanfare.

This seasonal tart that pleased a president (and a chef) sells at $7.99. However, once you bring home your Trader Joe's dessert, you'll need to know how to best serve it to your party.

After buying a Trader Joe's apple tart, there are a few steps you need to take before it's ready to serve at your big bash. As Ina Garten discussed on The Today Show, presentation is everything — after all, Garten even suggests spritzing up your cake slices.

But before you prepare to set out your apple tart with style, Garten advises heating it up in an oven so your guests can bite into an extra-gooey treat. And this is actually a pretty popular recommendation among fans of the Trader Joe's dessert. In fact, in a Reddit thread under r/traderjoes, two different users stated that the tart is best served warm. The original poster even reported that they thought the best way to heat the treat up for a party would be to place it on a rimless cookie sheet before you put it in the oven.

Once you've warmed up the dessert, Insider suggests setting it on a cake stand. The Reddit thread author also recommended dusting it with powdered sugar for a bit of festive flair. Then you can serve an appealing treat that Garten guarantees will satiate your guests.