Who needs pastry school when baking is in your blood? Evette Rahman learned to bake by watching and helping her mother in the kitchen. In 2012, she opened her own SoDo bakery and named it after her mom, who went by the nickname Sister Honey.
Seven years and a handful of awards from the American Pie Council National Pie Championships later, Sister Honey’s bakery in Orlando’s SoDo district is the place to go for bake sale style treats with a gourmet twist.
Rahman says she and her mother always toyed with the idea of opening a bakery, but it wasn’t until she passed away that Rahman decided to make their dream a reality. Having never attended culinary school, Rahman credits YouTube for teaching her new recipes and techniques.
Rahman’s husband Andy also works full time in the bakery and takes care of customer service, preparing pie crust, and bookkeeping.
Sister Honey’s is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. Rahman’s prize-winning pies — think Sensational Strawberry Cheese, Peanut Butter Satin, and Super Crunch Pecan — are available by the slice or as whole pies, along with cake, cookies, and other baked treats.