The Store-Bought Item You'll Never Catch Martha Stewart Buying

From Ina Garten's hostess gift tips to Bobby Flay's hack to reheat your favorite dishes, beloved culinary TV personalities have a stock pot's worth of advice when it comes to hosting a party. Culinary icon Martha Stewart is no different. Although, as you might expect, the essential dinner party advice she dished to The Kitchn was served with a side of sass. "I would never buy a dessert, ever."

If you're wondering if you could get away with an upgraded Trader Joe's mini sheet cake or Costco's cheesecake, unsurprisingly, Stewart says no way. "Homemade desserts are infinitely better," she says. "I don't care what it is — it's better if you make it yourself." The mogul puts a lot of faith in her fans' baking abilities, perhaps because she has spent her career sharing essential Martha Stewart baking tips we love.

However, if there's something you'd like to serve but haven't yet mastered, Stewart says to skip it. "Don't experiment on your guests," she says. "Practice ahead of time. If you're serious about treating your friends nicely, don't leave it up to chance. You don't want to mess everything up." Practice makes for a perfect-seeming home cook, so don't trial your newest creations for game-day. Try an easy crème brûlée or chocolate mousse for your inner circle first — and make Martha proud.

A well-practiced homemade dessert for a small dinner party is one thing, but what about those times when you're hosting for a holiday crowd? According to Martha Stewart, the same strict, no-store-bought-desserts rule still applies. "I never buy a Thanksgiving pie. Just don't do it no matter what," she tells The Kitchn. But what should you do if your pies usually have more mistakes than they do filling? As Stewart says, simply serve something else. She advises, "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." Still, if you're dead set on serving that pie you don't know how to make? Well then, she quips, "You better learn."

If you're a beginner, take a look at Ree Drummond's tips for perfect pecan pie or try the sour cream upgrade for apple pie. Whatever you do, definitely do not serve a store-bought dessert at your next dinner party (unless Martha Stewart isn't coming to dinner, that is).