Getting egg whites to room temperature for recipes...

Many recipes call for your egg whites to be at room temperature, such as Angel food cakes. Although refrigeration keeps eggs fresher for a much longer period of time than storing them at room temperature, they will blend into recipes much more easily if you take the time to take the chill off of them before using them.

Egg whites at room temperature will have become more “relaxed” and the whites will take on more volume when beaten, and break up more easily when whisked into a batter. When making Angel food cakes this is a must, as its the volume that forms the cake.

To bring the whites, to room temperature, you can take them out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before you plan to use them and leave them on the counter top. If the eggs sit out longer than that, it won’t hurt them in terms of how they act in the recipe, but they will have “aged” compared to eggs that have been kept only in the refrigerator.

Recipes that call for egg whites alone, such as the Angel food cake I will be making today, most often call for them to be at room temperature to insure the proper volume when beating.  Eggs are however, much easier to separate when they are cold. To warm up just your egg whites, separate the eggs when cold and place the whites in a small bowl. Place the bowl into a slightly larger bowl full of warm water and allow them to sit for 5-10 minutes. Or simply let them sit, covered, at room temperature for 30-60 minutes before using.

The leftover part of the egg that you are not using  can be stored in the refrigerator for later use.

Hope this info gives you new insight into baking gluten-free.
Sharon