Sweet Potato Casserole with Coconut

3 large sweet potatoes

3 tablespoons butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup flaked coconut

⅓ cup all-purpose flour

½ cup white sugar

2 eggs

¼ cup milk

1 tablespoon grated orange zest

3 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Poke holes in the sweet potatoes with a fork, arrange the sweet potatoes on a cookie sheet. Grease an 11x7 inch glass baking dish.

Bake sweet potatoes for 1 hour. Let cool, then mash in a large bowl. There should be approximately 3 2/3 cups of mashed sweet potato.

Combine softened butter with brown sugar, nuts, coconut and flour; stir with a fork. Set aside.

Combine sugar, eggs, milk, orange peel, butter, vanilla, salt with the mashed sweet potatoes. Beat the mixture with an electric mixer until smooth. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the brown sugar-nut mixture over the top of the mixture.

Bake for 35 minutes.