Date Bars

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/4  cup Crisco

1 cup brown sugar (packed)

1 3/4 cups flour

1/2 tsp. soda

1 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats.

Filling:

3 cups chopped dates

1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups water

Mix filling ingredients in sauce pan.  Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until thickened, about 10 minutes.  Cool.  Grease bottom and sides of 9"x 13" oblong cake pan.  Cream butter, shortening, and sugar together.  Mix in remaining ingredients.  Press half of mixture evenly in bottom of pan.  Spread with filling.  Top with remaining crumble mix, pressing lightly.  Bake at 400 degrees  for 25 to 30 minutes until light brown.  Cool slightly.  While warm, cut into bars and remove from pan.

This recipe came from Grandma Piotrowski and is an old Betty Crocker recipe that you always used to see on Christmas cookie plates, particularly in the North.  My Aunt Opal had a similar recipe which she called Matrimonial Bars.