Preheat your oven to 400°F.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

If your kitchen runs warm like mine does in summer, you can even place the baking sheet in the fridge while preparing the dough. Cold dough helps the scones rise better.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

Make sure the baking powder is evenly mixed in so the scones rise evenly.

Add the cold cubed butter to the flour mixture.

Using a pastry cutter or fork, work the butter into the flour until the mixture looks crumbly with pea-sized butter pieces throughout.

Don’t overmix here. Those little butter pockets are what create flaky layers while baking.

The first time I made scones years ago, I mixed the butter too much until it looked smooth like cookie dough. Big mistake. The texture ended up dense instead of flaky.

Gently fold in the diced strawberries.

Try not to smash them too much or the dough turns pink fast. Not a disaster, but it changes the texture a little.

If your strawberries are extra juicy, blot them lightly with paper towels before adding.

In a small bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and egg.

Pour the wet mixture into the flour mixture.

Stir gently with a spoon or spatula until a shaggy dough forms. It may look a little uneven and messy, which is normal.

I noticed the dough usually looks too dry at first, then suddenly comes together after another stir or two.

Lightly flour your counter or cutting board.

Turn the dough out and gently press it together into a round disk about 1 inch thick.

Avoid kneading too much. Overworking the dough makes tough scones.

Cut the dough into 8 wedges like a pizza.

Place the wedges on the prepared baking sheet with a little space between them.

Bake for 16 to 18 minutes.

The tops should look lightly golden and the strawberries may bubble slightly around the edges.

Your kitchen will smell buttery and sweet at this point.

If one side browns faster than the other, rotate the pan halfway through baking.

Let the scones cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.

They’re delicate when hot, so don’t rush this step.

In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla extract until smooth.

Drizzle the glaze over the slightly warm scones.

Sometimes I make the glaze thicker, sometimes thinner depending on mood honestly. Both work.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

These taste especially good with coffee or iced tea.