Food and prop styling by Shiri Feldman
Food prep and styling by Chef Suzie Gornish
Photography by Felicia Perretti

Who

Jessica Abraham

What

French Patisserie

Where

Hallandale Beach, Florida

When

8 years ago

Why

To provide their customers with high-end, authentic French pastries and desserts

My parents had the opportunity to visit Strasbourg, France, several years ago, and aside from describing how quaint and charming the city is, they couldn’t stop raving about the food! Strasbourg has several kosher restaurants that serve classic French cuisine, and they thoroughly enjoyed sampling a range of dishes, including the renowned foie gras (duck liver pâté) that France is famous for. But the real stars of the show were the variety of delectable French pastries that they savored at the end of each meal.

Fast forward several years, and my parents began to spend the winter months in Miami. I recently visited for an extended weekend, and we heard about a French couple in Hallandale Beach who operate a true artisan patisserie, selling all kinds of French pastries. My curiosity was piqued. This certainly felt like a magazine-worthy article in the making.

I gave Michel Abraham a call to discuss his business and was immediately impressed with his warm and friendly personality and soft-spoken nature. Over the course of our conversation, Michel shared with me that he and his wife, Jessica, had relocated from Strasbourg to Florida about eight years ago due to the growing anti-Semitism in France. They wanted to provide their two adorable children Leon (11) and Gabriel (7) with a safe place to live.

Jessica descends from a family of chefs. In fact, her father, Monsieur Henri El-Haik, was persuaded to open the first kosher restaurant in Strasbourg in the ’90s, prompting a revolution of new kosher restaurants in its wake. Jessica grew up helping out in the kitchen of the restaurant along with several of her brothers, three of whom are chefs today. Over time, she learned the trade from her parents and became a master at high-end French pastries.

When the Abrahams moved to the Miami area, Jessica would bring some of her showstopping cakes and tarts to her friends as gifts. Word spread, and she began to get requests for orders. One thing led to another, and soon Jessica found her desserts in high demand in South Florida’s wealthy and upscale circles. When the business started to expand, Michel left his job in the fashion industry to assist and manage their growing business.

They moved their establishment out of their home in 2019, and currently operate out of a food facility with only three employees, yet they manage to produce hundreds of pastries each week to satisfy their ever-growing customer base. Aside from individual consumers, some of their clients include kosher supermarkets such as KC Market in Hollywood and Kosher Kingdom in Aventura, as well as several nonkosher markets. They also sell their products to several popular restaurants, caterers, and hotels, and even provide El Al airlines with the desserts for their business class passengers on their MIA-TLV route.

Jessica prides herself in not taking any shortcuts as she creates her most phenomenal confections. She starts working at 4:00 a.m., putting in a long day to fill their many orders. Every single product is made by hand, from scratch, using the freshest, all-natural ingredients. If a cream calls for jam, Jessica purchases fresh berries and makes the jam herself. The resultant products are delicate and not overly sweet as well as fresh and tasty, not to mention unique and magnificent. Currently, they accept orders for pickup or delivery within the Miami area (call or text 786-543-8596 or order online at jessica-abraham.com), and each Erev Shabbos, there are lines of cars waiting to pick up their goods. The Abrahams hope to hire additional staff soon to streamline their business and expand a bit so that they can accommodate their clientele more efficiently.

When I first spoke to Michel, I told him I’d like to purchase some products (they’re actually very reasonably priced!). We tried a delectable passion fruit mousse cake and a knockout chocolate meringue pie with a rich mousse center, and we were impressed with their undeniable freshness and palatable flavors. Michel generously insisted on sending us some additional free samples to enjoy as well. Suffice it to say, it was a Shabbos to remember! We polished off every morsel. I look forward to treating myself to their delicious creations once more on my next visit to Florida!

Jessica was kind enough to share an authentic French dessert recipe with us. I can’t wait to try it out, as I’m sure it will be on par with her other delights. I highly recommend giving it a shot… and as the French say, bon appétit!

Classic French Crème Caramel

SERVES 6

Caramel

• ½ cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp water

Flan

• 1 vanilla pod (or 3 tsp vanilla extract)
• 2 cups warm whole milk
• ¼ cup sugar
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten

Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

To prepare the caramel, heat up the sugar and water in a saucepan over medium-high heat, without stirring, until it turns into an amber caramel. Pour the caramel into 6 4-oz (110-g) ramekins, coating the base completely. Allow to cool. Place the saucepan in water to make it easier to clean.

To prepare the flan, split the vanilla pod down the middle with a knife. Pour the milk into a saucepan. Add the sugar and vanilla and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Remove the vanilla pod. Scrape out the seeds and add them to the milk.

Meanwhile, whisk the eggs in a bowl until pale. Gradually add the warm (not hot) milk mixture, whisking until combined. Leave to rest for a minute to allow the foam to reduce. Then pour into the ramekins.

Prepare a water bath by lining a large baking dish with parchment paper. Place the ramekins in the dish. Fill the dish with warm-hot water until it reaches halfway up the ramekins.

Bake for 40 minutes or until the edges have set but the center is still slightly shaky. A knife inserted in the middle should come out clean. The water should never boil.

Remove the ramekins from the baking dish. Allow to cool. Cover and refrigerate for 6 hours or until completely cooled.

Run the blade of a knife along the inside of the ramekins to detach the flan. Place a small plate upside down over the ramekin. Hold the plate and ramekin together with both hands and flip. Unmold the flan by removing the ramekin.

Serve cold.

(Originally featured in Family Table, Issue 897)