Ina Garten's Simply Delicious Upgrade For Trader Joe's Apple Tart

Ina Garten has said "store-bought is fine" time and time again, both on her Food Network show "Barefoot Contessa" and in her many cookbooks. But the proof is in the pudding, or should we say the French apple tart? During a holiday-focused broadcast of "Today" in December 2022, Garten admitted to sharing a Trader Joe's French apple tart with some friends during the holiday season. But she served it her way — warm with vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce, of course.

The dessert is made with tart Granny Smith and sweet-tart Northern Spy apples baked in a shortbread crust and brushed with an apricot glaze. According to the website, the chef who concocted the original recipe for their tart once served it to the president of France, who loved it. Though the details regarding that particular chef and president are fuzzy, we do know the Trader Joe's version is based on a classic tarte Tatin, named for French hoteliers Stéphanie and Caroline Tatin, who first created it in the 1880s.

Making store-bought taste homemade

With all the preparation that goes into any holiday meal, it's perfectly alright to take a few shortcuts, and that includes transforming a Trader Joe's dessert into a homemade treat. Adding vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce to a store-bought French apple tart as Ina Garten suggests could be one path to holiday dinner party success, but the world is your tart, so do what makes you happy this season.

Garten always has vanilla ice cream in her freezer, an item she deems a necessary staple, but if vanilla ice cream is too plain for your tastes, you can always spice up your tart by topping the ice cream with a booze, such as coffee liqueur or spiced rum. For an added homemade element, try making an easy caramel sauce from a can of sweetened condensed milk or make from-scratch caramel sauce and feel self-satisfied as you drizzle it liberally over a slice of French apple tart a la mode.

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