Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line your baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

1. Cream together the butter, shortening, and powdered sugar. Then, add in the egg, almond extract, and vanilla and combine well.
2. Add in the flour and salt and combine well. Use the spatula to clean down the sides of the bowl and incorporate those ingredients back into the dough.
3. Split the dough into two equal dough balls, and place in two medium-sized bowls. In one bowl you will add red food coloring. Cover bowls and place in the refrigerator for half an hour to firm up a bit.
4. Shape two teaspoons of dough from each bowl into individual ropes about 4″ long. You can either roll it on a lightly floured surface or roll between your hands. Try to make sure the ropes are consistent thickness or you will have wobbly candy canes.
5. Take the two ropes and gently twist them around each other. They are easiest to twist together if you hold them vertical. You can slightly pinch the ends of the candy canes together if they start to separate.
6. Bake for about 9 minutes or until set and very light brown.