You are completely correct. Not sure what I was thinking there...
If there are any nuts stores or health food stores near you, I'd check to see if they have dried figs (and dates if you'd like those :p).
This sounds a lot like a graff. Boiling the cider will likely kill any light flavor it already has. I'm no expert in this by any means, but you probably will want to just separately pour the cider into your fermenter at room temperature.
As for how much...that's up to your taste. I would...
In case you are specifically looking for "Dried Figs," you might want to instead look for "Dates." Don't know why they get a new name when you dry them, but I guess they're like grapes (raisins) and plums (prunes).
Long story short, I cultivated a wild yeast by leaving out a flour and water mixture. I successfully brewed a batch of cider (pasteurized organic stuff from the local grocery) with it and decided to give it a go with another cider. I picked up a gallon of UV treated cider from a local farmers...