I don't have much trouble with tearing using the vodka crust, and if it does tear, you can just mush it back together. I cannot gush enough about how I love that crust! I don't think white wine would be high enough proof to appreciably affect the tenderness of your cookies, it's the lard for sure.

Thanks everyone! It definitely adds flavor, I was very curious about the science behind it and whether or not it aided in keeping the cookies tender/flakey as @iuzzini mentioned (although I'm sure the lard in my recipe helps too). And now that I hear about the vodka crust I wonder if it's also to help the dough from tearing when rolled out? hmmmm...thanks foodpicklers!

A new use for vodka! Who knew? My husband's the pie baker in our house. I'll pass this along.

iuzzini.....that vodka pie crust recipe is awesome! You can get the pie crust wetter than otherwise so I find it easier to work with & repairing tears is a dream. It bakes up perfectly flaky and tender. I have not gone back to using other pie crust recipes since I started using that one, though next time I make a coconut cream pie I'm going to use coconut rum instead of vodka. I even use 1/2 vodka 1/2 water when I make lorinarlock's delicious butternut squash galette crust.

I think alcohol can also reduce gluten formation in dough (though I don't know how high the proof needs to be for this to happen)so it may help to keep the bischochitos nice and tender/flaky etc . . .- there's a vodka pie dough i recently came across (http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/recipe-review/recipe-review-the-cooks-illustrated-vodka-pie-crust-068851) which my friend brought to us over Thanksgiving- it was definitely delish but I didn't notice anything particularly different about the crust (in flavor or texture) . . .

that's hilarious!! I didn't even pay attention. It is the liquid ingredient in most of the biscochitos recipes I found, though some just use water.

Hee hee, that's Gabriela's blog! I agree, i think it's for the flavor. And also, it could be used as the liquid ingredient, depending on what cookie recipe it is.

I think it's to add flavor. See this site: http://gabrielaskitchen.com/2009/11/15/biscochitos/