Dominostein

A Dominostein is a confection primarily sold during Christmas season in Germany and Austria.
It is a layered confection, related to the Mille-feuille, opera cake, Punschkrapfen, and Jaffa Cakes. Dominostein has a base of Lebkuchen, a middle layer of jelly, and a top layer of marzipan or persipan. It is enveloped in dark chocolate.

History

The Dominostein was invented in 1936 by Herbert Wendler in Dresden. Because of the food shortage during World War II, he intended it as a lower-priced alternative to his more expensive pralines. It became popular as a Notpraline. Wendler's original recipe used Pulsnitzer Pfefferkuchen.
Wendler's factory was destroyed in World War II and rebuilt in 1952. In 1972, his company was nationalized during communist rule in East Germany. The government returned the company to Wendler in 1990 during German reunification. In 1996 Dresden-based Dr. Quendt GmbH & Co. KG acquired his company and original Dominostein recipe. By then the confection had become popular nationwide, especially during Christmas.

Retail sales

Dr. Quendt still manufactures and sells Wendler's original Dominostein. Other German manufacturers and distributors include Edeka, Favorina, Lambertz, and Niederegger. Small confectioneries in Germany also make and sell Dominosteine, including variations with strawberry jelly and nougat. In the United States, Aldi markets them as "chocolate dominoes" under its Benton's brand.