Labor Day weekend has become a round of gustatory indulgences, whether we're hitting up cookouts, dining out rather than road tripping, or drinking our faces off in the spirit of patriotism. This weekend is usually one in which I break down and sneak more sweets than usual, particularly iconic summer desserts that speak to the season. Which desserts say summer?

5 .Whoopie Pies. The ugly stepchild to cupcakes, classic whoopie pies are terrific, particularly when the cake is almost black and there's a proper ratio of cake to cream.

4.

Fresh fruit from the oven- be it peaches, rhubarb, berries, or

apples- topped with ginger ice cream is among the most delicious (yet

homely) desserts. I prefer the texture of crumbles in a cobbler over the

flakiness of a pie, but either one is divine.

3.

I've always loved popsicles and admit to riding a bike to a local pool

for a couple of rounds on the diving board followed by a red FlaVorIce.

Paletas are better for you (and harder to come by), though my favorite

these days are probably poptails.

2.

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I used to love these so much as a kid I'd microwave marshmallows and

chocolate, but there's no denying that half the reason this is so

delicious is the charred sugar from a fire. S'Mores are a situational

dessert, enjoyed outside, on a beach, near a camp site, or in a

backyard on a delightful summer night. I'm a fan of s'mores as much

for the memories they conjure as the flavors.

1.

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Root beer floats are the lazy person's summer entertaining dessert.

It's the only thing I'll drink with a Crazy Straw. Floats can be deceptively showy, as foam from the soda froths beyond the rim and cascades

down the glass.

Where to find these sweet treats? And which desserts are your guilty pleasures this weekend?

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