Candy Cane Cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup soft shortening
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1 egg
1-1/2 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla
2-1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp red food coloring.

Mix together first 6 ingredients. Mix flour and salt and stir them into shortening mixture. Divide dough in half. Put 1/2 tsp red food coloring into half of dough and mix. Roll a strip of white dough between palms until it is about 5 inches long and less than 1/2 inch wide (the thinner the dough, the more realistic-looking the candy cane). Repeat with red dough. Twist red and white dough strips together and bend top like a candy cane. Put on cookie sheet (I always grease it, but with 1 cup of fat in the dough, you shouldn't have to). Bake at 375o for 9 minutes.