Mix all dry ingredients except for almonds and reserve 1/2 of the 5 spice for the topping..
Get the shortening and butter very cold by putting in the freezer for 15 minutes. Using a course grater, grate the butter and shortening into the dry mix in a mixing bowl and mix for about 30 seconds. Reserve 1 TB of cream for later and add the egg and the rest of the cream to the flour mix. If you are using an electric mixer, use a paddle blade attachment on low speed. Run the paddle just long enough to get the liquid soaked up. The less mixing the better. Add almonds and mix for another 10 seconds.
Preheat oven to 400 °
Turn dough out onto a floured board and shape into a 1 inch tall square. Brush the 1 TB reserved cream over the top. Dust with remaining 5 spice. Cut into portions of your choosing. Classic triangles, squares, trapezoids, your choice. The pieces will almost double in size so choose your sizes accordingly. Place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper leaving about 2 inches between pieces. Bake for 15-18 minutes until golden brown.