The Store-Bought Items Martha Stewart Refuses To Serve To Guests

Martha Stewart is always serving up tips to make you a better baker and a better host, which is why you might be interested in learning what store-bought foods she will never serve to guests. The media mogul dished to the Kitchn that she is not a fan of desserts that aren't made in her own kitchen. Stewart said, "I would never buy a dessert, ever, because homemade desserts are infinitely better." 

Baking is clearly her love language, which is why you will never find something like the 10-pound monster Costco dessert, also known as a half sheet cake, on Stewart's dining table. The entrepreneur and cookbook author went on to share this philosophy also carries over to one of the biggest cooking holidays of the year in the United States: Thanksgiving. Stewart explained, "And I never buy a Thanksgiving pie. Just don't do it, no matter what. And don't have pie if you don't make it yourself. I'm very strict about things like that. Don't have pie unless you know how to make a pie — so you better learn." Cue hiding that boxed-up pumpkin or pecan pie you picked up at your local grocer under a kitchen towel.

Martha Stewart's dessert stance is not held by every chef. Alex Guarnaschelli has offered tips on how to elevate your store-bought cookie dough and Ina Garten is openly a fan of Trader Joe's French apple tart. So, don't feel too bad if you don't make your own pies. Life can get busy, and sometimes, store-bought desserts are the only way your family and friends are going to get their coveted dessert.

Still, it's difficult not to see Stewart's point. While convenience desserts are a staple in many households, they are going to lack the same fresh-from-the-oven appeal that a homemade dessert offers. Those Marie Callender's pies that you buy frozen and pop in the oven might save your kitchen the mess and be tasty, but they may have ingredients in them — like palm oil — that you would never add if you baked them yourself. Baking your own pies and other desserts means you decide what types of sugars, fats, and fresh ingredients you use.

So, what do you do if Stewart is going to be a guest at your home for dinner? While it might not be a good idea to serve up store-bought desserts you think you can totally pass off as your own, you could bake her one of her preferred treats, which include her daughter's recipe for brown sugar chocolate chip cookies or a nice layer cake, preferably one with a layer of lemon filling.