And the Little Ones said, Roll Over, Roll Over (Asda Smartprice Chocolate Swiss Roll)

Member Name: shroud

Product:	Asda Smartprice Chocolate Swiss Roll
Date:	21/08/08 (92 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheap, lower in calories than more expensive brands, adequate overall cocoa content

Disadvantages: sugary taste somehwat overwhelms the cocoa flavour, better as an ingredient than main snack, desser

I like to provide a pudding with each meal, and while most of them are fruit based, once a week we like to be decidedly wicked and have something that is a little more naughty. I admit that I try to stick to a strict monetary budget, so I look to save when I can. This is one of the products we have tried over time during my various economy drives, so I thought I would share our experience with it. It's a cheap product, by any account, costing 15 pence for a roll. Calorie wise, it has far less calories than the more expensive varieties, with 276 calories per 100 grams as opposed to 406 calories per 100 grams for the 88 pence Asda's own branded jumbo chocolate Swiss roll.It manages this without any artificial sweeteners that I can detect, so I felt okay about placing it in my trolley.

This used to come in a white wrapper as shown in the DooYoo picture, but now comes in a printed upon clear wrapper, but its the same product without any changes being made. Upon opening the wrapper, I always notice that it is a nice medium dark brown, so plenty of cocoa is present in the cake, and while not over generous, the cream filling is more than adequate. This is a "normal" store bought sized roll that I could admittedly make into a single serving size by just scoffing it down though, so if you want a roll the size you would make at home, you need at least 3 of these, or else do without a little and get the jumbo own branded version.

It uses glucose syrup instead of normal sucrose type sugar, so it is a bit on the super sweet side. We have quite the sweet tooth, so its not a problem in itself, but if you don't, this may be too sugary in taste for you. Due to its small size and sugary overtones in taste, I have to admit the cocoa flavour is a bit overwhelmed despite its colouring. I therefore prefer to use this as an ingredient rather than an entire dessert offering. Well chilled and sliced on the thin side, it is excellent used to serve strawberry jelly, or in place of sponge fingers in a strawberry or raspberry trifle, taking care to add the jelly once soft set to avoid sogginess. It's also nice sliced and served with a quality vanilla ice cream and a decent chocolate or caramel sauce, dusting the slices over lightly with cocoa before serving up. Frozen, sliced, and then doused in brandy and topped with whipped cream, it also makes a quick "fancy" dessert for guests or special occasions. The filling is sweet and bland, so it doesn't hurt to place a drop of vanilla essence on each slice either.

Kids, however, seem oblivious to the general faults of it as a stand alone snacky food, and just seem to love it. One kept in the cupboard then for a treat to dole out is always greeted with cries of delight, which costs far less and is more filling overall than the same amount spent at the sweet shop or pic a mix counter so its a good bargain on that score. This also means its a good buy for grabbing two or three of these, slicing up, and serving on a platter for children's parties along with the usual other loads of cheap eats they love to stuff themselves with. It's cake, it's chocolateish, it's sweet, they want it. No need to go all out unless it is a birthday!

So, it's cheap, and basic, but unless you are a kid, or just a sugar munching monster it is not perfectly fine on its own, as its far better as part of a dessert instead of being the whole of one.

Summary: Not all that bad, depending on how you make use of it