Matrimonial Cake

Another wonderful thing I love about my Grandma Carnegie, is the fact that she was wise when it came to dessert. She would cook and bake for her 8 wonderful children only to find there wasn't much left for herself to enjoy. So she found a solution to this problem...and it is called Matrimonial Cake! It is made with dates - not exactly a kid's favorite. So she would make the kids' dessert and then a special dessert for her and her husband. I developed a taste for it as I got older. I remember it being served at weddings and at the hotel I worked at on the dessert buffet. It is yummy! Try it out:

Crumb Mixture

1 1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup brown sugar (packed)
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

Filling
2 cups chopped dates
1/2 cups brown sugar
1 cup water
1 T. lemon juice

In a mixing bowl, combine rolled oats, 1 cup brown sugar, flour, baking soda, salt and melted butter. Mix until crumbly.
Press half the crumb mixture into a lined and greased square baking pan.
In a sauce pan, over low heat, cooker dates, sugar and water until thickened and smooth (about 10 minutes). Add lemon juice and mix well. Spread date mixture over crumble layer.
Sprinkle remaining crumb mixture over date filling. Bake at 350 for about 35 minutes, until lightly browned.