if I'm out of ground cinnamon, can I grate a cinnamon stick?

alison
  • Posted by: alison
  • December 18, 2018
  • 26884 views
  • 6 Comments

6 Comments

foofaraw December 18, 2018
Yes, and if after grating it is not fine enough, you can use mortar and pestle to make the grated cinnamon finer. It is harder to grate Indonesian cinnamon than Ceylon cinnamon though.
 
BakerRB December 18, 2018
Yes, but it's a real pain in the neck! I did it for a snickerdoodle recipe that specifically called for it. They were great - lovely rich, warm flavor - but I'll likely not make them again.
 
Nancy December 18, 2018
You will get pretty good results from grating on a microplane or grinding a couple sticks in most blender.
In either case, measure what's needed for the recipe and save any extra in a covered glass jar.
 
ktr December 18, 2018
I think it would be hard to get it as finely ground as store-bough ground cinnamon. How much do you need? You could try grating it and then using a fine mesh strainer to get out the larger pieces. Otherwise, depending on the recipe and the amount needed, pumpkin pie spice might be a good alternative.
 
alison December 18, 2018
I have a microplane that I also use with whole nutmeg. my biggest concern would be if the cinnamon stick was the same material used by manufacturers in ground cinnamon.
 
Nancy December 18, 2018
Alison...maybe yes, maybe not the same variety as in commercial ground cinnamon.
Not much tasre difference in baking among the varieties...
But freshly ground will almost always taste fresher than some standing several months or years in a pantry.
 
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