Meringues: how much oil is there in ground cinnamon?

[Howard_2]

Recently I attempted to make some meringues, flavoring them with cinnamon. I added the cinnamon at the beginning of the process and the meringue batter never really fluffed up.

I'm wondering why. anyone know how much oil there might be in ground cinnamon?

[goodhealthgourmet]

the *weight* and timing of the cinnamon may have been more of a problem than any natural oils. there are numerous factors that affect the volume of whipped egg whites.

for the fluffiest results:
- use older eggs
- let the whites come up to room temperature before whipping
- make sure your bowl and utensils are immaculately clean and grease-free
- don't touch the whites with your fingers when separating the eggs (you can leave behind oils from your skin)
- add sugar and any flavorings near the end, at the soft peak stage
- use superfine sugar, which dissolves more easily
- add sugar & flavorings slowly - a bit at a time - and don't stop beating/whipping while adding

[Cherylptw]

Not enough to mess up your meringue...did you add cream of tartar? Your bowl & beaters have to be completely clean and dry. Also, for future reference, I suggest adding your sugar & flavorings halfway through the whipping process, once the whites begin to fluff up.