Christmas Pudding with Custard Sauce | Saveur

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp. butter
• 3 ¹⁄₂ cups fresh white bread crumbs
• 2 cups dried currants
• 1 ³⁄₄ cups seedless golden raisins
• 1 ³⁄₄ cups seedless raisins
• 1 ¹⁄₂ cups light brown sugar
• 1 cup self-rising flour
• ¹⁄₃ lb. cold beef suet, membranes removed, grated
• ²⁄₃ cup stout, such as Guinness
• ¹⁄₄ cup finely chopped candied lemon peel
• ¹⁄₄ cup finely chopped candied orange peel
• ¹⁄₄ cup slivered almonds
• 1 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
• ¹⁄₂ tsp. ground allspice
• ¹⁄₂ tsp. salt
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 granny smith apple, stemmed, cored, peeled, and coarsely grated
• Juice and finely grated zest of a small orange
• 4 cups milk
• ¹⁄₂ cup sugar
• 8 egg yolks
• ¹⁄₄ tbsp. flour
• 1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise
• ¹⁄₂ cup brandy, optional