Orange Nutella Hurricane Cookies

It’s become a running joke at work that if we’re expecting miserable weather, I must be headed to the beach to visit my family. It’s funny, but if I cross the Bay Bridge (connecting the east and west shores of Maryland) on a sunny day, I feel a bit uneasy.  Where’s the rain, wind, or fog?

So I guess it was no surprise that my weekend travel plans coincided with Irene. Sigh.

I spent Thursday debating whether or not to attempt the trip. Getting there on Friday would have been no problem, but depending on the severity of the storm, returning on Sunday could have been an issue. My nephew’s birthday was Friday and I hated to disappoint him, but when the evacuation notices came out Thursday evening, the decision was made for me.

After touching base with everyone through phone calls or text messages Saturday morning to be sure evacuation plans went smoothly, I spent the rest of the morning glued to the TV. I got through a few hours of watching the projected path of Hurricane Irene swirl up the East Coast, and then made my brain switch to baking mode.

Swirling storm to swirling cookies. An orange sugar cookie dough with a swirl of Nutella and almonds sounded good. Hearing from my family that they returned home safe and sound was even better.

Orange Nutella Hurricanes (cookie dough adapted from Holiday Cookies)

2 ½ c flour

1 t baking soda

¼ t salt

¾ c butter, softened

¾ c sugar

1 egg

1 T finely grated orange zest

2 T orange juice

½ c Nutella

½ c cinnamon roasted

    almonds, finely 

    chopped

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.  In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add egg, orange zest, and orange juice.

Add flour mixture and combine well.

Wrap dough in plastic wrap or waxed paper and refrigerate 45 minutes to 1 hour.

I rolled the dough between two sheets of plastic wrap.

Roll out the dough to a 10 by 13-inch rectangle. Spread Nutella to within a half inch of the dough edges and sprinkle with chopped nuts.

Starting at one of the longer ends, roll dough into a log.  Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°.  Slice into ¼-inch thick disks and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets.  Bake approximately 12 minutes, or until golden brown at edges.

Chilling the log of dough made it easier to slice.