Mom's Christmas Plum Pudding

1 . Stage

Generously grease a 12-cup steamed pudding mold and its lid.

2 . Stage

Stir together plums, crushed gingersnaps, flour, sugar, milk, butter, eggs, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg for the pudding. Pour into the prepared pudding mold and cover with the lid. Place the mold on a rack in a deep, 8-quart pot. Add boiling water to halfway up the side of the mold, making sure water does not touch the lid.

3 . Stage

Cover the pot and simmer for 3 hours 45 minutes, adding more boiling water, if necessary. Remove the pudding mold from the pot and cool on a wire rack until pudding pulls away from the side of the mold, about 30 minutes.

4 . Stage

While pudding is cooling, combine sugar, half-and-half, butter, brandy, and corn syrup in a small, heavy saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until butter melts, and sugar dissolves, 3 to 5 minutes.

5 . Stage

Invert pudding onto a platter and serve immediately alongside warm brandy sauce.