I was just now trying a new recipe for Lemon Chiffon Cake. I made sure the bowl was grease-free, no yolks got into the whites when I separated the eggs -- so why wouldn't my meringue come to stiff, glossy peaks? I beat it with the KA whisk attachment for what seemed like forever, but could only get it to the soft peak stage.

The recipe said to zest 2 lemons and mix that with 2 Tbsp. sugar, then that's what you added to the whites to make the meringue. I'm thinking that lemon zest contains some oil, so is that what caused the lack of stiff peaks? If so, the recipe's a dud.

Anyway, I went ahead and finished mixing and put it in the oven. It's for the workers at our church's rummage sale tomorrow -- I wanted them to have a special treat. I'm going to hope for the best. Please send good vibes my way!!!

Did you add the sugar in the beginning? Or after it reached soft peaks?
You shouldn't add it in the very beginning.

About the yolks in whites, I think that's a myth... You can beat whole eggs, and if you do it long enough you'll get peaks, just as if you'd beat whites first and added yolks after. Here in Portugal several recipes request that kind of thing.

It IS NOT a myth that if you get egg yolks in egg whites they won't beat up. When you beat a whole egg until it has peaks, it is not the same as beating egg whites with peaks. Lemon zest does contain ol. so that may have been it. You may want to beat the white until you get stiff peaks and then add the lemon zest with sugar while beating.

I agree, the yolks in egg whites is definitely not a myth...It WILL whip up, but definitely not to any great volume. I speak from experience!! (i had some egg yolk residue in with my egg whites when making a meringue. I had such poor volume and my meringue came out about half the size it usually does!!)

I don't mean to be impolite, but as my kids help me all the time when I'm baking, pieces of yolks go lots of times into the whites. I have never had any problem with that... And believe me I beat whites lot's of times. Sometimes because I make the Portuguese traditional cake Pão de ló (it can be made both ways: beat them apart or together) and also because I do Merengue Sighs with the left over whites of the yolks I use to make ice cream.
I do happen to have an example in my pictures if you care to see
http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1213566

I really can't tell the difference... Sorry...

So you are able to get stiff peaks (you know where you hang the bowl upside down and they don't move), not soft peaks with bits off egg yolk in your whites?

I'm afraid I do...
I only heard about this problem, when I started reading about baking in the internet

Okay. Hey, we all do what works. I've always had a problem if I got egg yolk in my whites. I've even seen professional chefs have the same problem when they got a little bit of yolk in their whites.

you might find there is a difference in the volume you get between whipping egg whites with absoloutely NO yolk in them, to whipping egg whites that contain small amounts of egg yolk.

Well, I've never tried to compare... It's just that I never had any problems with that.
Next time my kids let some yolk in the whites, I'll try beating the same amount of clean whites apart and then I will compare.
Then I will know for sure

Well, whatever happened, it's no longer a potential disaster -- it's in the trash!!! Those rummage sale workers will have to settle for cookies out of my freezer -- luckily, I have 5 or 6 kinds stockpiled in there.

Anamado, my husband just left me this afternoon for a week of business in Lisbon, Portugal. Keep an eye on him for me, huh?

Maybe it's the Portuguese chickens?