Heat oven to 350F degrees.
Cream Crisco, sugar, egg, milk, and vanilla in large bowl at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended.
Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
Beat into creamed mixture at low speed.  Press dough in a very thin layer around the well drained cherries.
Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet.  Bake at 350F for 10 minutes.
Cool on baking sheet one minute.  Remove to cooling rack and cool completely.
For dipping chocolate
Melt chocolate and Crisco on very low heat or 50% power in microwave, stir.
Transfer chocolate to glass measuring cup.
Drop one cookie at a time into chocolate.  Use fork to turn.  Cover completely with chocolate.
If chocolate becomes to firm, reheat on low.
Lift cookie out of chocolate on fork.  Allow all excess to drip off.  Place on wax paper lined baking sheet.  Sprinkle chopped pecans on cookies while chocolate is wet.  Chill in refrigerator to set the chocolate.
**For an added touch, melt some white chocolate, dip fork in chocolate and let drip across chocolate dipped cookie, moving fork across cookie top.