When I was developing recipes for my cookbook, Marbled, Swirled, and Layered, I needed my butter to get to room temperature quickly.

A baking expert explains why bringing ingredients, such as butter, eggs and other dairy, to room temperature is important.

Most of us immediately understand why butter needs to be at room temperature if you intend to cream it with sugar (and remember, you tend to see some iteration of the phrase "beat until fluffy ...

In pie, butter must be refrigerator-cold. In cookies, for the purpose of creaming with sugar, butter is best at room temperature. In breads — well, that depends.