Coconut Pecan Yams

We first had this dish when the Edwards' family brought it to a church potluck. I've never been big on yams (I usually just take a little bit at Thanksgiving to be polite), but I absolutely loved these! As I said to Erin, "How can you ever go wrong when there's butter, brown sugar, coconut, and pecans?" Warning: If you follow this recipe exactly you will notice that it asks you to add a cup of sugar to the yams. It is VERY sweet. I think sweet potatoes are sweet enough on their own (hence the name) and so I would recommend leaving out the cup of sugar (unless, of course you are in a very sweet mood or would like to serve this as a dessert).

• 3 cups cooked, mashed yams
• 1 cup sugar (optional)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Combine the above ingredients, mix well and spoon into a lightly greased 2-qt. rectangular baking dish.

Topping:

• 1 cup coconut flakes
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Combine the Topping ingredients and sprinkle over yams. Bake at 375 degrees until golden brown, about 45 minutes.