Three Unexpectedly Delicious Pie Recipes, Including a Brilliant Southern Dessert That Martha Loves

Dairy products are key ingredients in a number of our favorite dessert pies and cakes. Low in fat, high in protein, and super versatile, buttermilk has long been one of our secret-weapon ingredients in the kitchen. It plays an essential role in our pancakes, biscuits, cornbread, fried chicken, and so much more. But Martha's new favorite way to use buttermilk? In a pie! Sara Foster's recipe, a North Carolina-based chef and cookbook author, for the traditional Southern delicacy comes from her mother, and it's definitely a keeper. But we aren't stopping there—we're also sharing two other desserts that use two delicious cultured dairy products: crème fraîche and yogurt. Get a sneak peek at the recipes below.

Related: The Test Kitchen's Favorite Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe

Few things pique our interest quite like buttermilk. The Buttermilk-Cardamom Pie starts with the flakiest, most tender pie crust, thanks to a magical combination of butter, shortening, vinegar, and sugar. Tangy buttermilk is teamed with a fragrant mixture of nutmeg, cardamom, and vanilla bean, then baked in the crust until the top is crackly and the custard beneath wobbles just so—think crème brûlée. It's important not to make the crust for this pie in advance; it should still be warm when you pour in that luscious spiced buttermilk filling.

Is it spring yet? Bookmark this recipe for when rhubarb hits the market, then roast the ephemeral pink stalks to crown this unbelievably moist yogurt cake. Ground pistachios in the batter add just the right amount of crunch in our Pistachio-Rhubarb Yogurt Cake.

Tangy crème fraîche enriches the filling of this streusel-topped Plum-and-Créme-Fraîche Pie without weighing it down. It also offsets the sweetness of the fruit perfectly. You'll want to make this time and time again—while it's in season.