[dilemma]

Thanks for your quick reply. I make balls of dough about 1"+ and then flatten them with a cookie stamp. It leaves the impression of a Christmas tree and I really think that it is the tree that makes them taste so good to my granddaughter. They spread during baking to about 2 1/2". I'll try your suggestion of single layers with cardboard separating each layer - it's going to take a lot of cardboard to send 3 doz cookies but what the heck. The shortbread received the biggest response out of a whole boxful of gifts!

By the way, they aren't THAT good. My son refers to it as the Myth of Grandma's shortbread but he likes it too. My daughter-in-law likes the choc. fudge.

Thanks again.