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1
Preheat the oven to 325u00b0F. Spread the almonds and peanuts on a baking sheet and lightly toast them in the oven, stirring them at least once to prevent them from burning, about 6 minutes. Remove the nuts from the oven and set aside to cool.
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2
In a large stockpot with a tight-fitting lid, heat the oil over high heat. Add the popcorn kernels and cover the pot. Once the kernels begin to pop, shake the pot constantly until all the corn stops popping. Uncover and remove from the heat.
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3
Heat the water and sugar in a large stockpot over high heat until the sugar dissolves and the syrup comes to a boil. Let the syrup cook until it reaches a golden amber color; you'll notice the bubbles getting bigger and forming more slowly. Watch it carefully, as once the sugar starts to turn yellow it can burn very quickly. Swirl in the cream-the caramel will sputter. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla, zest, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, salt, and pepper.
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4
Using a wooden spoon, stir the popcorn and nuts into the hot caramel until all of it is well coated. It helps to vigorously shake the stockpot up and down and rap it against a sturdy work surface between stirs to get the popcorn at the bottom to move to the top. You'll want to work as quickly as possible since the caramel will stiffen as it cools, making it harder to work with.
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5
Spread the caramel-coated popcorn on a large baking sheet lined with a nonstick baking mat (or parchment paper sprayed with nonstick cooking spray). Allow the popcorn to cool completely before breaking it into bitesize pieces. Store the popcorn in an airtight container. It will keep for up to 1 week. Serve with wedges of the blue cheese, 1 to 2 ounces per person.
