Classic Christmas pudding

Ingredients

• 5 1/2 tablespoons blanched almonds
• 2 apples large Bramley cooking
• 7 ounces candied peel in large pieces or all citron if you can find it
• 1 whole nutmeg you'll use three quarters of it
• 8 15/16 cups raisins
• 1 1/8 cups plain flour
• 15/16 cup breadcrumbs soft fresh white
• 7/8 cup muscovado sugar light, crumbled if it looks lumpy
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons brandy or cognac, plus extra to flame
• 1 1/8 cups butter packet, taken straight from the fridge
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened
• 1/2 orange
• 5 tablespoons icing sugar
• 4 tablespoons brandy or cognac
• 2 pieces stem ginger finely chopped