Eggs - Cold, Room Temperature, or in a Warm Water Bath?

Separating the albumen (white) of the egg cleanly from the yolks is best done when the egg is cold out of the refrigerator.

On the other hand, the whites will whip up better (to a larger, more stable volume) at room temperature. So let your separated egg whites sit out for 20-30 minutes before proceeding to that step of the recipe.

Many recipes containing eggs that are not integrated fully into the batter ask for cooking in a bain-marie, which is just a fancy name for a warm water bath. The cooking vessel is set into a pan with a shallow amount of very hot tap water inside the oven as it cooks. The warm water surrounding the uncooked material promotes a more even cooking so that the edges near the container do not overcook before the material in the center is done.