“When I came up with this recipe, my family went crazy over it. It’s now one of our holiday treats.” Her son Onifade, who is 7, says it’s the best thing he’s ever had (so far) from his talented mom. We can’t argue with that.

Combine brown sugar, flour, nuts and butter in mixing bowl. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°. Coat a medium-size casserole dish with nonstick spray. Combine sweet potatoes, sugar, salt, vanilla, eggs and butter in a large mixing bowl in the order listed. Beat thoroughly with a hand mixer to increase the fluffiness of the sweet potato mixture. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish and bake for 30 minutes. (At this point, dish can be covered and refrigerated.) Sprinkle the surface of the sweet potato mixture evenly with the crust mixture and return to oven for 10 minutes, or until casserole is heated through. The brown sugar and pecan crust should be slightly browned and crunchy. Allow to set for at least 30 minutes before serving.