Preheat oven to 375F. Sift together flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda. In another large bowl, cream butter, both sugars and vanilla. Add eggs and mix well. Add flour mixture and blend well (do not beat). Drop by the tablespoonful onto a parchment-lined pan (should be at least 24 cookies) and bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool on a rack. For the filling: Using the paddle attachment on low, cream together the shortening and butter with the vanilla and almond extract. Add the icing sugar and continue blending while adding one tablespoon of water. Allow the mixture to fully blend and then turn the mixer on high to whip and lighten the filling. If it’s too thick to whip, add a little water at a time until it’s loose enough to whip. Not too much, though – you want the filling to be thick. Lather filling on one cookie and top with another; fill the cookie sandwiches so that a little filling squeezes out through the sides. Roll this excess filling in the crushed candy canes. Yield: 1 dozen