An Apple Custard

Pare and core twelve pippins, slice them tolerably thick, put a pound of loaf sugar in a stew pan, with a pint of water and twelve cloves: boil and skim it, then put in the apples, and stew them till clear, and but little of the syrup remains--lay them in a deep dish, and take out the cloves; when the apples are cold, pour in a quart of rich boiled custard--set it in water, and make it boil till the custard is set--take care the water does not get into it.