Christmas sago pudding

My aunty has made this pudding for years (though not in recent years, I guess that's why I'm craving it) so at long last I have made my own. Usually called 'Sago Plum Pudding' for reasons unknown to me, as there are no plums or prunes in it - I included cranberries and almonds to make it a little more festive.

Sago Pudding
2 TBL sago (found in the jelly crystal aisle of the supermarket; it is just tapioca starch)
1 cup milk
(Wash the sago then stand it in the milk overnight so it absorbs)
20g butter (1 1/2 TBL)
3/4 cup sugar
1 scant tsp baking soda
1 cup day-old bread, broken into small bits
1 1/2 cups mixed dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, cherries, currants - and I guess you can use prunes!)
a handful of sliced almonds
1/4 cup brandy
pinch salt

Cream butter and sugar. Dissolve baking soda in the sago mixture then add to the butter mixture.
Fold into bread, fruit, salt and brandy (alternatively you can soak the fruit in the brandy overnight).
Grease a pudding basin and pour in the mixture. Any size will do - the cooking time is important.

Wrap the pudding basin:
Here's the interesting part - get a piece of cloth long enough to wrap under the bowl then back around to twist the end to make a handle. Tie the top with string then tie the handle to the top at both sides.
This is a good tutorial for tying up a pudding. I guessed at it and it turned out fine. The handle is just to get the pudding out of the pot once cooked.

Steam the pudding:
In a large soup pot (big enough to fit the basin with a little room) place a saucer in the bottom and fill about one third of the way. Bring to the boil and place the pudding in so the water comes halfway up the side of the basin (roughly level with the pudding mixture). Cover.
Steam for 2 1/2 hours. You should be able to hear the saucer jiggling in the pot the whole time, but not so vigorous that the lid jiggles as well.

Serve with ice-cream, fresh cream, or brandy cream or sauce.

It really is delicious. You can eat it right away or it will keep in the fridge for about 2 weeks, if well wrapped. Not sure about freezing.