Note: This dough requires 30 minutes in refrigerator before rolling. Also soften cream cheese and butter before mixing.
Cream together softened cream cheese and butter. Add sugar and beat until well blended. Add vanilla.
Add flour and baking soda and mix well.
Fold in nuts or coconut.
Chill dough for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat oven @ 350
Prepare baking sheets with parchment paper.
Shape each cookie into a ball about 1 inch round. Press thumb in each ball and fill cookie sheets with cookies.
Bake for 8-12 minutes until lightly browned. Remove sheets from oven and immediately fill center of each cookie with jam or 1/2 of a cherry.
Remove cookies to rack for cooling.