Christmas Pudding w/ Brandy Sauce

This recipe is adapted by me from the recipe used by Mrs. Kinky Kincaid in the book "An Irish Country Christmas" by Patrick Taylor, M.D.

175g or 3/4 cup soft bread crumbs
400 ml or 1 3/4 cups whole milk
300g or 1 1/4 cups castor sugar
250g or 1 cup suet
175g or 3/4 cup white all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp nutmeg
175g or 3/4 cup grated carrot
250g or1 cup currants
250g or 1 cup raisins
175g or 3/4 cup mashed potato
75g or 1/4 cup candied peel
3 eggs, beaten
4 tsp treacle or molasses

Heat milk to boiling point and pour over crumbs in very large bowl. Add the sugar and leave to soak for 1/2 hour. Mix in all other ingredients, except eggs and treacle, mixing very well. Finally add the eggs and treacle, and beat very well. Put mixture into greased bowls, cover and steam for 4 hours. continue to add boiling water from time to time to ensure it does not boil dry. Makes one very large pudding or two small ones.
You can use special bowls with their own lids, or else cover the bowl with aluminum foil. I used grease proof paper, then brown paper,and I tie it on with a string. making a handle with the string. If you haven't got a doctor handy,you do need to be careful with the boiling water, so.

The pudding matures and tastes much better it you can remember to make it one year to six months before you need it.

(Addition from Matt: Feed with brandy, just a teaspoon or so, once a fortnight. To feed the pudding, open the top, and skewer the pudding three or four times, then sprinkle the brandy on to the pudding. Then cover and tie it up again. Oh, I do hope you are using a ceramic bowl. Over the course of a few months the brandy will eat through steel.)

Brandy Sauce
55g or 4 tbsp butter
55g or 4 1/4 cup white all-purpose flower
570 ml or 2 1/2 cups milk
55g or 1/4 cup castor sugar
1/4 cup brandy

Melt the butter and stir in the flour. Cook 2 minutes and stir in the milk. Bring to a boil, stirring all the time. Simmer gently for 10 minutes. Stir in the brandy and sugar, and serve with the Christmas pudding.

Garnish the pudding with a holly sprig.