Sweets for the sweet – especially since it is/was Valentine’s Day, or Valentine’s Week.

Like we need a reason to sugar up—right? (Cue maniacal laughter.) Well, whether it’s to get a last-minute or belated holiday gift, or it’s because nothing less than swigging a nearly 8-pound jug of Hershey’s chocolate syrup will satisfy your sugar cravings, you can hardly do better than to visit It’Sugar (yup, that’s how it’s spelled; nothing I can do about it).

Call it a “lifestyle store,” call it a “museum of nonsense” (as staffers described it to us during its summer debut), this candy-and-more store, at 1870 Broadway, near 61st, will make you happy—even if you’re on a sugar-free diet.

How’s that? Um, see the above quoted descriptions, please. Betwixt and between the nearly 8-pound jugs of Hershey’s syrup ($19.99), 1.5-lb. boxes of Laffy Taffy ($17.99) and $3.49 per quarter-pound gummies and sours, there is such as Mr. Lee and the Desk Bunny.

Mr. Lee, who stands approximately 5 inches tall, houses a portable pair of chopsticks. Pull on his legs and—don’t worry, they’re supposed to come loose—they form black perfectly functioning ’sticks. Done using them? Clean and reinsert ’sticks, and Mr. Lee, who’s made entirely of glossy plastic, is ready to stand at attention on your desk or tabletop in his traditionally styled Asian suit, complete with mandarin collar and toggle closures, until called into further service; $14.50.

The Desk Bunny, which appears to be made of pale-pink porcelain, though is almost certainly resin, also sits desktop, waiting to serve. One version has a pair of pink-handled scissors stored in a space behind the bunny, whose paw-held carrot is magnetized on top to hold paper clips ($27.50); another model dispenses tape ($24.50).

Nearly exceeding legal limits for cuteness are the poly-satin throw pillows that each feature a different New Direction boy-band singer. Teen-dream Harry Styles—is this boy a hair-delivery system or what? I mean, have you ever seen a more profuse tumble of waves and whorls, dips and flips, rolls and ringlets? His lushly lashed eyes and sweetly smiling lips aren’t too shabby, either. Make some tween, teen—or perhaps yourself—very happy with one of these $14.99 items.

If you’re lucky, ND’s hit What Makes You Beautiful will also burst from the store’s sound system while you’re perusing these and other (yes, there are more!) band-related items. I admit I did a discreet head bounce or two, and then pretended I was doing something else.

More sweet calorie-free choices include the Jolly Rancher lip balm in “mega flavor” cherry; a .32-oz tube goes for $3.99. You will please, as per the instructions, neither eat this cosmetic, nor will you apply near your eye area. Also, don’t iron your clothes while wearing them, or use a hair dryer while you are sleeping. OK, the last two warnings are really not on this product’s packaging; however, they are actual warnings that are on actual appliances, so I thought it hilarious, er, I mean, prudent to add them.

Remember rock candy, made of sugar crystals? Here’s a guilt-free version: silvery chain necklaces that dangle sparkly pendants that look exactly like brilliantly colored versions of the old-time treat; $2.99.

Going back to that huge jug of chocolate syrup—yes, I’m obsessed with it—the label has a “pump” offer for dispensing the stuff; what, no IV options?

THIS WEEKEND DOESN’T HAVE TO BE THE END OF THE LINE FOR THESE AUTUMN DELIGHTS

Thanksgiving is the last hurrah for the multitude of flavors that come together to spell “autumn” in our little lizard brains. Herbs like sage and rosemary, Brussels sprouts and squash, apples and ginger—soon we’ll say goodbye to all that and it’ll be all Christmas, all the time. Chocolate and peppermint will flavor absolutely everything—hell, they’ve already snuck their way into the Pringles can, once a bastion of salt. Orange and cinnamon will somehow find their way into the very air around you, like surplus oxygen pumped onto the casino floors in Vegas.

Some of this has to do with geographical seasonality—there’s only so much you can grow when there’s been 2 feet of snow on the ground for a month. But much more of it is due to the manufactured seasonality of holidays as consumer events. How are people supposed to go wild shopping for Christmas gifts on Black Friday if they still feel like it’s Thanksgiving, a time for being grateful for what you already have? How can you keep latte consumption running high without introducing a new limited-time-only flavor every three weeks?

Turns out seasonality means less and less these days, both from a meteorologic and a material perspective. Starbucks rolled out its holiday-branded cups weeks ago, along with all the eggnog/gingerbread/peppermint coffee-type beverages that go in them. And with a hurricane, massive snowstorm and mid-60s temperatures all within a week of each other, climate and season have only a passing acquaintance. So check out some of these autumnal flavors after Thanksgiving and assert your independence from the whole charade.

If you think you don’t like Brussels sprouts, you’re not alone. If all you’ve ever had are Aunt Gertie’s boiled-while-the-turkey’s-in rendition, there’s really not much to love. Cooked plainly, the little guys’ crucifer heritage comes out loud and clear, packing all the stench of boiled cabbage into a tiny, bite-sized parcel. But roasting opens them up to a world of caramelized sweetness, a slight bitter edge and the delightful contrast of tender interior and crisp exterior. Eat these anywhere, but especially at Mile End Sandwich (53 Bond St., mileenddeli.com), where they’re halved and tossed with shredded radicchio and a bacon vinaigrette that nestles in all the right crevices. It’s just the right thing to cut the richness of their signature Ruth Wilensky sandwich (that’s fried salami for us non- Montréalers).

Sure, there’ll be apple cider till Easter, but that over-spiced, over-sweetened hooch doesn’t do the apple justice. Over the years, New York has been home to some of the most brilliant apple breeders, who created a multitude of varieties that coax bright tartness, honeyed sweetness, floral undertones and more from the fruit. Go straight to the source at the Union Square farmers’ market, which is open all year round (apples keep for months in the right cold storage!), or try some of the seasonal sandwiches at Num Pang (21 E. 12th St. or 140 E. 41st St., numpangnyc.com), the Cambodian sandwich shop whose creations defy borders. Roasted, spiced chicken comes with slices of pickled apple, turkey breast is topped with a very Thanksgiving cranberry-apple chutney, and glazed pork belly is accompanied by Asian pear (OK, not an apple, but just as autumnal!).

For a full-on one-two punch of fall, try Crispo (240 W. 14th St., crisporestaurant.com) and their butternut squash tortelloni with chestnuts and sage. The below-the-radar Northern Italian spot (no mean feat for a restaurant that sits right on 14th Street) serves a variety of soul-warming pastas in a romantically low-lit, brick-lined room, along with plenty of their signature ingredients: prosecco, prosciutto and parmigiano. But the handmade pockets of rich, dense squash sweetened by the street vendor favorite, roasted chestnuts, and made savory with browned butter and fried sage, take the seasonal prize.

By Regan Hofmann

Take a simple, slightly special childhood food. Something you might get after acing a particularly hard spelling test, or to celebrate the first snow day of the year. Nothing fancy, mind you—just outside the norm enough to feel like a treat.

It’s no secret that chefs all over the city have been coming back to exactly these comforting memories for the past few years, spurred by the conflicting desires to meet consumers on their economic level and continue to push the creative envelope

Some add unusual ingredients. Some up the refinement level. And some just go over the top, letting their inner 8-year-olds go screaming through the pantry. Hot dogs? Yep. Cupcakes? We all know that one. Hot chocolate? You’re up. Here’s how this latest immature indulgence has evolved, just in time for the season of splurging.

Exotic/Traditional: Jacques Torres (350 Hudson St., betw. Charlton & King Sts.), www.mrchocolate.com

By now, of course, haute chocolatiers like Vosges and Mast Brothers have made spice-infused chocolate positively pedestrian. But back when the idea of adding chiles to chocolate was just a glimmer in an Aztec’s eye, Jacques Torres’ wicked hot chocolate was the first to blow New Yorkers’ minds and tastebuds.

Mexican hot chocolate is, of course, the grandaddy of them all. But when the idea of making a cacao-based beverage first hit, sugar was not common on the continent and the brew was spiceheavy and bitter. Fast-forward some 1,500 years and Mexico has found the sugar and lost most of the spice, save for cinnamon, which adds a piquant edge. In his take, Torres combines his dark chocolate with cinnamon, allspice and a blend of chile peppers to create a thick, fragrant brew that warms the palate in more ways than one.

Traditional/Indulgent: Otto (1 5th Ave. at 8th Street), www.ottopizzeria.com

Mario Batali’s Otto doesn’t do anything that isn’t straight from the Italian playbook, from its extensive salumi list down to the gelato that wins converts faster than you can say “really? olive oil?” Gianduja is that winning creation that pairs rich, roasty hazelnut paste with sweetened chocolate, originated in Turin, Italy, in the 1850s and ubiquitized by Nutella. Yes, the Europeans beat us to the “you got chocolate in my peanut butter” moment by about 75 years—but hey, at least we get that snappy orange wrapper.

Otto’s gianduja calda can be found on the restaurant’s dessert menu, which means you can rest assured this treat’s going to be more meal than beverage. Milk and hazelnut chocolates are melted into hazelnut-flavored milk and topped with whipped cream, and the cup comes with a dainty quaresimale, shortbread-like biscotti, perched on the saucer. Dip the cookie in your cup to marvel at how thickly the drink coats it, but save it for nibbling on separately— its crisp nuttiness is a perfect foil for the intense chocolate.

Indulgent/Childish: Coolhaus (check @CoolhausNY on Twitter for the day’s locations)

A food truck venture that began in California and has since branched out to Miami and two trucks—and a cart—in New York, Coolhaus’ main business is build-it-yourself ice cream sandwiches. The name is a cute play on the architect Rem Koolhaas, but not to worry. Though the concept is light as air, their offerings are serious business: inventive, delicious homemade ice creams and cookies in flavors from horchata and eggnog to red velvet and pumpkin spice.

In the wintertime, the truck, which roams the city but can currently be reliably found at the Union Square Holiday Market, offers similarly playful, creative hot chocolates. Flavors include dirty mint, nutella (take that, Italians!) and salted caramel. You know that kid’s urge to take all of your favorite things and combine them into one great Frankenstein’s monster? That’s how these drinks taste, in the best possible way.

Start to look for it, and you’ll see that almost any food trend can be parsed in the same way. What’ll be the next big kid’s treat to proliferate in 2012? My money’s on Rice Krispies squares—hey, stranger things have happened.

PHOTO courtesy of Jacques Torres chocolate.