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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 or 3 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
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First toast the pecans so that they can cool. Toast them on a cookie sheet in a single layer for about 7 to 10 minutes tossing once halfway through that time. Let them cool to room temperature and then roughly chop them with a knife, or snap them into small pieces with your fingers. I like to keep the pieces sort of chunky for best crunchy texture in these soft cookies.
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Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
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In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the cream cheese, butter and sugar until soft and fluffy.
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Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
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Beat in the vanilla extract.
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Fold in the dry ingredients until a soft dough begins to form.
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When almost all of the flour has been incorporated, add the cherries and pecans and fold in well to distribute them evenly throughout the dough.
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Drop the dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto the parchment lined cookie sheet about 3 inches apart.
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Bake for about 15 minutes until the bottom edges become golden brown.
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Cool on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes or so before transferring the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
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Store in an airtight container. These cookies are quite freezer-friendly.