Rugelach King's Sweet Reign

He’s the rugelach king of Harlem.

Alvin Lee Smalls‘ obsession with the buttery nuggets began more than four decades ago when he stumbled onto a recipe in a newspaper and launched his quest to create his own version of the traditional Jewish treat.

“I didn’t really like it,” said Smalls, 69, recalling the results of the newspaper recipe. “So I [practiced] … for about six months and I ended up making it right.”

AUDIO SLIDESHOW: Alvin Lee Small tells the story of his Harlem bakery, whose dedicated rugelach-loving customers launched a social media campaign to save his business.