Combine all the ingredients except the brandy in a large glass bowl. (note: i didnt have suet so i used crisco instead, and the results were pretty good!)

Mix well and cover with a cloth (cheesecloth, teatowels, anything is fine). leave it overnight so the flavours have a chance to meld together well.

Preheat the oven to 120 degrees C.

Remove the cloth covering and cover the bowl loosely with foil.

Place in the oven for a good 3 hours (at least).

Remove from the oven. the mixture will look like its positively drowning in fat, and thats exactly what we're after.

Let the mixture cool to room temperature. as it is cooling, stir it every 15 minutes or so. what this does is it distributes the fats evenly so that it coats all the ingredients as it cools.

When the mixture has cooled to room temperature, add the brandy and stir well to combine.

Store in sterilised glass jars. it can be kept for months in a clean, well sterilised jar in a cool, dark place (no need to refrigerate).

Its perfect for gifting too! put it in small artisan jars with metal lids, and tie a festive ribbon around the rim of the bottle.