Terri, I think that this might work... The dough hold it's shape and you could leave out the chocolate chips. They are very good...that much is for sure!
Refrigerate the dough and just roll out.

WORLD PEACE COOKIES

Dorie Greenspan

Deeply chocolaty World Peace Cookies will be a hit, either passed after dinner or as a gift.

Servings: Makes about 36 cookies \-\-These cookies, the brainchild of Parisian pastry chef Pierre Herm with whom Dorie Greenspan wrote "Desserts by Pierre Hermé," caused Greenspan's neighbor, Richard Gold, to say that a daily dose of these is all that is needed to ensure planetary peace and happiness. You can't eat just one. The salt is important to the taste; don't skimp on it. Ingredients: 1 1/4 cups all\-purpose flour 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1 stick plus 3 Tbsps. (11 Tbsps. altogether) unsalted butter, at room temperature 2/3 cup packed light\-brown sugar 1/4 cup sugar 1/2 tsp. fleur de sel or 1/4 tsp. fine sea salt 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract 5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chips, or a generous 3/4 cup store\- bought mini chocolate chips 1\. Sift flour, cocoa and baking soda together. 2\. Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add both sugars, salt and vanilla extract and beat 2 minutes longer. 3\. Turn off mixer. Pour in dry ingredients; drape a kitchen towel over stand mixer to protect yourself and your kitchen from flying flour and pulse the mixer at low speed about 5 times, a second or two each time. Take a peek \-\- if there is still a lot of flour on the surface of the dough, pulse a couple more times; if not, remove the towel. Continuing at low speed, mix for about 30 seconds longer, just until the flour disappears into the dough \-\- for the best texture, work the dough as little as possible once the flour is added, and don't be concerned if the dough looks a little crumbly. Toss in the chocolate pieces and mix only enough to incorporate. 4\. Turn dough out onto a work surface, gather it together and divide it into half. Working with half at a time, shape dough into logs that are 11/2 inches in diameter. Wrap logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate them for at least 3 hours. (The dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months. If you've frozen the dough, you needn't defrost it before baking \-\- just slice the logs into cookies and bake 1 minute longer.) 5\. When ready to bake, center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats. 6\. Using a sharp, thin knife, slice logs into rounds that are 1/2 inch thick. (The rounds may crack as you're cutting them; don't be concerned, just squeeze the bits back onto each cookie.) Arrange rounds on baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch between them. 7\. Bake cookies 1 sheet at a time for 12 minutes. They won't look done nor will they be firm, but that's just the way they should be. Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack and let the cookies rest until they are just warm, at which point you can serve them, or wait until they are room temperature. ................................. Nancy

chocolate peppermint star cookies

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup (about 31/2 ounces) finely crushed red-and-white-striped hard peppermint candies

Preparation
Sift flour, cocoa, and salt into medium bowl. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Add dry ingredients; beat until dough holds together. Divide dough in half. Shape each piece into disk. Wrap in plastic; chill until firm enough to roll, at least 45 minutes and up to 1 day.

Set rack in center of oven and preheat to 300°F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment. Roll out 1 dough disk on floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Using 3-inch star-shaped cutter, cut out cookies. Transfer to sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Gather scraps into ball. Wrap; chill until firm, about 30 minutes.

Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until tops feel firm to touch, about 25 minutes. Cool on sheets 10 minutes. Transfer to racks and cool completely. Repeat rolling, cutting, and baking until all dough is used. Do ahead Can be made ahead. Store airtight at room temperature up to 3 days or freeze up to 2 weeks.

Stir chocolate in small metal bowl set over saucepan of barely simmering water until smooth. Using small spoon, drizzle chocolate over cookies in zigzag lines. Sprinkle with crushed candies. Drizzle remaining chocolate over. Let stand until chocolate is set, at least 1 hour. Do ahead Can be made 3 days ahead. Store cookies between sheets of waxed paper in airtight container at room temperature.

This is from epicurious....i made them last year and they were sooo yummy! This was my first attempt at cookie cutter type cookies.

Nancy, I LOVE those World Peace Cookies!!!!! I didn't even think about those. Might be a bit to dark for kidlets...BUT I could include them in the good boxes for teachers and friends.

mjr, I like the sound of those..shortbread is a great idea.

Thank you to both of you..since you have the recipe posted here Nancy, I'm gonna just do one big copy paste into word an print both of these!!!!