1.Combine fruit in large bowl. Heat brandy in small saucepan over medium heat until hot; do not boil. Remove from heat; pour over fruit, stir to combine. Cover; stand at room temperature for 24 hours or store in a cool, dark place for up to one week, stirring every day.
2.Grease 2-litre (8-cup) pudding basin or steamer. Line base with a round of baking paper. Place 30cm x 40cm sheet of foil on bench; top with baking paper cut the same size. Fold a 5cm pleat crossways through centre of both sheets.
3.Beat butter, sugar and treacle in small bowl with electric mixer until combined. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix butter mixture into fruit mixture; stir in sifted dry ingredients and breadcrumbs. Spoon mixture into basin. Top with pleated baking paper and foil (this allows pudding to expand as it cooks); secure with kitchen string or lid.
4.Place pudding in steamer with enough boiling water to come halfway up side of steamer. Cover with tight-fitting lid; boil 4 hours, replenishing with boiling water as necessary to maintain water level. Stand pudding 10 minutes before turning out.
5.Meanwhile, make brandy custard. Bring milk, cream and vanilla bean to the boil in medium saucepan. Remove from heat; stand 10 minutes. Discard vanilla bean. Beat egg yolks and sugar in medium bowl with electric mixer until thick and creamy; gradually beat in warm milk mixture. Return custard to pan; stir, over heat, without boiling, until custard is thick and coats the back of a spoon. Stir in brandy.
6.Serve pudding with custard.
It is fine to use just one 300ml carton of cream in the brandy custard. To store: Allow pudding to come to room temperature then wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate in a clean steamer, or seal tightly in a freezer bag or airtight container. Refrigerate for up to two months; freeze for up to 12 months. To reheat: Thaw frozen pudding for three days in refrigerator; remove from refrigerator 12 hours before reheating. Remove from plastic wrap and return to steamer. Steam 2 hours following instructions in step 4. To reheat in microwave: You can reheat up to four single serves at once. Cover with plastic wrap; microwave on high (100%) up to 1 minute per serve. To reheat whole pudding, cover with plastic wrap; microwave on medium (55%) about 15 minutes or until heated through.
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