I was thinking out loud on that part about cholesterol, considering my switch for everyday cooking from vegetable shortening to a lard-mix shortening. Anything like that pudding with this many steps has to be something you make rarely, so the effects of eating the ingredients only occasionally are not going to register, is my guess.

Thanks again for taking the time to post it. Maybe I'll cook up a batch and put on a few Poirot mysteries to set the scene. (One of his mysteries includes a clue in the holiday pudding, though I think it is a different sort).

SRS