Every Sunday in our house is Waffle Day. It has been for years, and it started entirely by accident.

How Waffle Day started

When my son was around two, I thought it would be fun to make waffles. He devoured them. The next week we made them again, and again he devoured them. As a kid who liked a lot of foods but was slowly becoming a little more picky, this was a revelation.

We made them a third week. Then a fourth. And soon every single Sunday in our house was known as Waffle Day.

Each week I’d get into the kitchen and start on the spread. Waffles. Different methods of eggs from week to week. Sausage or bacon, and sometimes both. Whatever fruit was in season. It quickly became one of our favourite traditions.

My son only ever wanted the waffles and the fruit. Never the bacon, sausage or eggs, which baffled me to no end.

Years later my daughter was born, and as soon as she was old enough she became a huge fan of Waffle Day. Unlike my son, who was becoming a surprisingly picky eater, my daughter loved it all.

My son, the competitive kid that he was and is, saw his little sister loving the eggs, the bacon, the sausage, and at some point decided he needed to keep pace. He tried the eggs. Loved them. He tried the bacon. Loved it. He tried the sausage. Loved them.

All of a sudden the entire family was eager to try new things to keep Waffle Day fresh and exciting.

Where the pumpkin spice came from

One day, working our booth at the Barrie Farmers’ Market, I struck up a conversation with a friend about fall flavours. I knew I wanted to do more baking spices, so we kicked around a few ideas. One of them was pumpkin spice, and I knew exactly how I’d put my own spin on it.

Any time we come up with a new product, we test the heck out of it. Version after version, tinkering until it’s perfect. This is the one time we got it right in a single shot. It had never happened before and it hasn’t happened since.

We didn’t know that at the time, of course. So we tested anyway, which is my favourite part of developing new products.

The Sunday it earned its place

Come one early September Sunday morning, I suggested we try making waffles with the pumpkin spice.

My wife was on board right away. My son, and even my daughter, looked at me funny. Waffles were a sacred tradition in the Cook household, and I was about to change them.

They reluctantly agreed, and I got to work. Soon the usual smell of cinnamon wafting through the air was joined by nutmeg, ginger, cloves and allspice. My daughter was intrigued. My son still wasn’t convinced.

With breakfast prepped, the family descended on the dining room table for the weekly feast. I served the waffles. My wife and daughter dug in immediately, giving a glowing endorsement through the “mmmm” sounds of a full mouth.

My son looked at his waffle. Then ate some eggs. He looked at his waffle again, and took a big bite of sausage. He looked at the waffle once more, cut off a small piece, smelled it, and finally put a bite in his mouth.

“This is pretty good!” he said.

And a new fall tradition for Waffle Day was born.

What makes these waffles different

Two things, and neither is the spice.

The first is almond flour. It has no gluten and plenty of fat, which is what gives you a crisp exterior and a tender middle rather than the softer, more pancake-like result you get from all-purpose flour alone.

The second is whipped egg whites, folded in at the end. It’s an extra bowl and about three minutes of work, and it’s the difference between a good waffle and a great light-and-fluffy one.

The Perfect Pumpkin Spice is the reason you’ll make them in September. The technique is the reason you’ll want to make them all year long.

Tips for perfect waffles

• No almond flour? Swap it for the same amount of all-purpose flour. The waffles will still be good, just a little softer and less crisp at the edges.
• Don’t skip the folding. Stirring the whites in collapses the air you just whipped into them, and the whites are doing most of the lifting here.
• Serve them as they come off. Waffles are at their best in the first minute. If you’re feeding a crowd, hold them in a single layer on a rack in a low oven rather than stacking them, which traps steam and softens the crust.

Questions people ask

Can I make the batter the night before?
Not this one. The whipped egg whites lose their air within an hour or two, and the baking powder starts working the moment it hits liquid. You can measure and mix the dry ingredients the night before, which takes most of the work out of the morning.

Can I use a different oil?
Yes. Light-tasting olive oil, avocado oil or canola all work. Avoid extra virgin olive oil here, as its peppery bitterness fights with the warm spices.

How much pumpkin spice should I use in waffles?
One tablespoon for a batch of about 12 waffles. Less than that and the spice sits in the background; this amount puts it front and centre where it belongs.

What is in pumpkin spice?
Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and allspice. There is no pumpkin in pumpkin spice. It’s the blend traditionally used to season pumpkin pie, which is where the name comes from.

Can I freeze them?
Yes. Cool completely, freeze flat, then reheat straight from frozen in a toaster. They come back crisper than you’d expect.

Why separate the eggs?
Whipping the whites and folding them in at the end traps air in the batter, which gives you a lighter waffle with a more open interior. It’s the single biggest difference between this recipe and a standard one.