Provencal(?) Sundae: figs in wine and coffee ice cream

The question mark, ragazzi, is because Annalena is vexxed (should there be one 'x' there? Two looks better, in any case). French food can be as regional as Italian is, with arguments over where a dish originated, what part of France makes it best, etc, etc. We have all been bombarded with things Provencal over the last few years. From what Annalena has been able to learn from her readings, there has always been an interest in that part of France, for many reasons including the weather, the almost Italianate style of cooking, and then, of course, the rush of popular books about the region. All this being said, when one speaks of provencal cooking, I stand back and say "ok." For the most part. I know many of the ingredients, because they are so close to Italian: olive oil, tomatoes, eggplants, anchovies, garlic, basil, and so on and so forth.
When I first had this dish, it was at Zuni Cafe', and it was called what I call it: provencal sundae. It was GOOD. What it had to do with Provence mystified me, however. The figs I can see, but coffee ice cream? I assume that coffee is drunk in Provence, and ice cream eaten, but coffee ice cream a signature of Provence? Huh?
Several years later, when I obtained my first copy of "Chez Panisse Desserts, there was a recipe for the sundae in it. Lindsey Shere provided a bit of commentary, to the effect that "the combination of figs, red wine, honey and lavender sings of Provence, and may someday be associated with California as well."
Uh, but what about the coffee ice cream? As was said in "Hamlet": "The rest is silence."

So, your guess is as good as mine. Notwithstanding these issues about "provenance" (had to. Sorry), this is a wonderful dessert. Coffee ice cream seems to be the "closeted favorite" of many people. When friends found out I was making it, there was more than casual interest. I guess it has to go on the list with nutella ice cream for repeats. I have made it before, and I'll give you the recipe below; however, here's Annalena's secondary recommendation. If you want to try the flavors but do not have the wherewithall to make your own coffee ice cream, buy a good variety and use that. Furthermore, I do not see how this dessert is linked to the type of ice cream. Lavender honey ice cream seems right to me, as do any of the "white" ones, like vanilla, or creme fraiche, or something like that.
Mostly, I want you to make the fig accompaniment. At this time of year, when we're all waiting for the first strawberries of the spring to come in, and we're all kind of tired of apples and pears, reach into the bag of dried fruit and get to work. This is really easy, and you can use the figs in a whole lot of different ways, as I'm sure you'll figure out. I'm thinking cream cheese on nut bread with the figs over them, for example.

Here we go. You need a pound of dried figs. Try to get moist ones, but if you can't, read on. Cut the little stem tips off of them. It won't take long. Now, dump them into a pot, together with a cup of red wine. I used zinfandel, and I guess to be truly "authentic" you should be using a southern French wine, but you'll all have to deal. Also add a cup of water, and about a quarter cup of a good quality honey. Lavender honey is what you really want here, if you don't have honey and lavender sprigs . If you do, use a couple (NO MORE THAN TWO), of the sprigs with the honey. Cover the pot, put the heat to very l ow (I mean VERY low), and cook for at least half an hour. Keep checking. It's realy impossible to say when the figs will be nice and soft, and this is also a "judgement call" as to how soft you want them. If your liquid runs out, add another half cup of water.

When you've got them as soft as you like them, remove the figs from the pot, and cook down the liquid until you only have about two tablespoons of it. You'll have a thick, sticky syrup. Let it cool. Let the figs cool as well, and slice them into thin slices, and pour the syrup over them.

That's it. This will keep forever, no need to refrigerate.

Now, to the ice cream, if you feel ambitious. Combine 3/4 cup of sugar, the same amount of coffee beans (BEANS. Do not substitute ground, and if you use instant coffee, I am blocking you from this recipe forever), 1 cup of milk and 2 cups of heavy cream in a pot. Stir this together, to dissolve the sugar, bring it to the point where you get bubbles around the edges, and then cover the pot and l et it steep for a good 45 minutes. Somewhere in that interval, separate six large eggs. After the 45 minutes, dump the eggs into the mixture, break them up and begin cooking at low heat, until you get a custard. You know how to do that.

I then strain out the beans, although you could leave them in until you're ready to freeze the ice cream. You should not leave them in there when you freeze it.

To serve - well, I don't have to tell you do I? - a nice scoop of the ice cream and a spoon of figs with a little syrup over it, and you have your sundae.

I guess it's not really a sundae either? Oh well, what can I say. Viva la France?