The perfect last minute holiday party menu for DC bachelors from men.style.com

Men.style.com is the go-to guide for bachelors and those boys who wish they still were. Check out their Guide to throwing the ultimate holiday party HERE. Now all you need are the invitations, some lighting, a bartender (so you're not stuck making drinks) eye-candy, good beats and gossip. Oh how I love the holiday season.

Devils on Horseback—recipe

Dried, pitted prunes
Cheese (Maytag Blue or Pierre Robert work well)
Thick-cut bacon (available via mail order from dartagnan.com)

Fill prunes and with cheese.
Wrap each prune with a slice of bacon and secure with a toothpick.
Cook under the broiler (or in a 450° oven if a broiler is not available) until the bacon is crispy, about 7 to 12 minutes.

Toad-in-a-Hole—recipe

Precooked sausage (Calvert recommends duck or wild boar sausage, both available at dartagnan.com)
2 eggs
1 cup flour
½ cup milk
¼ cup beer (your choice—any will work)
Vegetable oil
Dijon mustard

Poach the sausage in simmering water for a few minutes to ensure it is cooked through. Remove from water and slice into bite-sized pieces.
Make the batter: Beat eggs with the flour, milk, ¼ cup water, beer, and salt and pepper to taste.
Dip the sausage pieces in batter.
Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat; when hot, fry the battered sausages until golden brown, and serve on toothpicks with Dijon mustard.

Asparagus Spears with Smoked Salmon—recipe

Asparagus spears
Sliced smoked salmon
Olive oil
Lemon
Scallion cream cheese

Poach asparagus in simmering water until tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. The asparagus should still have a little crunch to it. Shock in lightly salted ice water to stop the cooking. Drain and dry the asparagus.
Marinate the poached spears in just enough olive oil to lightly coat the asparagus, and add lemon zest to taste. Let marinate for about 15 minutes.
Spread sliced salmon with a thin layer of scallion cream cheese, top with asparagus, and roll to create a small bundle.

The Punch—recipe

Christmas Punch No. 2 (Adapted from Patrick Gavin Duffy's Official Mixer's Manual, 1956)

1 cup each of Rhum Clement V.S.O.P. Rhum, Old Overholt rye whiskey, and Hine V.S.O.P. Cognac
½ cup each of strong-brewed English Breakfast tea, Benedictine, fresh-squeezed orange juice, and simple syrup
25 dashes of Angostura Bitters
Half a sliced pineapple
1 bottle Moët Imperial Champagne

In a large glass pitcher, mix all ingredients except the Champagne.
Store covered in the fridge overnight or at least three hours before your party.
Strain the pineapple from the rest of the liquid and add the bottle of Champagne to the punch right before service.
Serve in small glass cups from a punch bowl chilled with one large block of ice.
Garnish each cup with an orange twist.

Living: Home Entertaining

The Martini—recipe

2½ oz. Plymouth gin
¾ oz. Noilly Prat dry vermouth

Add everything to a mixing glass, then add ice.
Stir and strain into a chilled coupe.
Garnish with a lemon twist.

The Horse's Neck—recipe

2 oz. Famous Grouse blended scotch whisky
3 oz. Fever-Tree ginger ale

Build in a Collins glass filled with ice. Garnish with a long lemon-peel spiral.

Photos: Lara Ferroni