Do the points decrease when you cook with alcohol? The directions usually say something like "simmer to burn off alcohol". I was hoping that meant that you "simmer" off some points too...

Alcohol added to a recipe may cook off, but it depends on how long you cook it. Rena Cultrufelli of the USDA prepared the following table of alcohol content in cooked foods.

Preparation Method Percent Retained

Alcohol added to boiling liquid and 85%
removed from heat

Flame 75%

No heat; stored overnight 70%

Baked, 25 minutes, alcohol not stirred 45%
into mixture

Baked/simmered, alcohol stirred into mixture:

15 minutes 40%
30 minutes 35%
60 minutes/1 hour 25%
90 minutes/1.5 hours 20%
120 minutes/2 hours 10%
150 minutes/2.5 hours 5%

So you see not all the alcohol is ever complete “burned” off.

No, you don't get to reduce points if it's a WW recipe it's already been taken into consideration. Unless you are using a whole lot, it would amount to much anyway.