1/2 cup pecans
3 cups cooked, mashed yams
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3 Tablespoons flour
2 Tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
Toast pecans on a baking sheet in a 350 oven for 5-8 minutes. After the pecans have cooled, chop them into smaller pieces.
Mix the mashed yams, sugar, eggs, milk, salt and vanilla until smooth using an electric mixer on low speed. Spoon the mixture into a greased 2 quart casserole dish. Combine brown sugar, pecans, flour and butter. Sprinkle over the yams. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.