How do I make macarons de Paris in a neat shape and make them rise with the lip?
I was lucky enough to get a macaron session from a Michelin-starred pastry chef before Christmas and he gave me some invaluable tips.


Use an Italian meringue recipe. In
other words, pour warm sugar syrup on
to the egg whites instead of sugar
from the cupboard. The eggs will
already have been 'cooked' into
structure and will not require any
crusting. They will retain the same
shape that you pipe them out at. You
can bake them straight away, or in a
couple of hours - they won't be any
different.
When piping, use a moderate pressure.
Don't wring the bag out. Keep the
nozzle approx 2cm over the tray and
maintain that height while you pipe -
let the weight of the batter spread
the macaron out evenly. When there is
enough mixture in place (about 4cm
across?) stop squeezing and flick the
nozzle away in a controlled circular
motion to avoid creating a 'nipple'.


I wrote about this including his recipe on my blog here.

PS. I just remembered that adding further weight to the Italian meringue technique a very prominent French chef in the UK, Raymond Blanc, said that he always uses this method. On his TV programme this week he said it delivers far more consistent results.