A delicious thick topping for fruit and other desserts.

Makes about 3 cups

Ingredients:
250ml apple juice
1/4 - 1/3 jar Clearspring Brown Rice Malt Syrup, to taste
250 - 400g sliced pitted soft fruit e.g. apricots, peaces, nectarines, cherries
2 tbsp Clearspring Kuzu
A pinch of sea salt

Method:
1. Mix the juice, malt syrup, and pinch of sea salt in a saucepan. Adjust the amout of syrup you're using depending on the sweetness or tartness of the fruit.

2. If you're using large fruit like nectarines, cut it into bite-sized pieces. If the fruit you're using is fairly firm, add it to the pan and bring to a simmer, uncovered, over a medium heat for a couple of minutes. Delicate, tender fruits won't need to be cooked, so leave them in your seving bowl until later.

3. Thoroughly dissolve the kuzu in 2 tablespoons cool water and add to the pan while stirring it quickly. Cook on a medium to low heat and stir constantly until the mixture gets back up to a simmer and thickens.

4. If you're using fruit that doesn't need cooking, pour the hot liquid over it at this stage. Mix gently and once it's cooled down, put it in the fridge. If the fruit's already mixed in, simply pour the contents of the pan into the serving bowl, leave to cool and put it in the fridge. The custard will thicken as it cools.

Recipe from The Real Taste of Japan