In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Touching the butter with your hands as little as possible, cut the butter into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives. The mixture should look like course crumbs once you are finished. In a small measuring cup, combine the whipping cream, beaten egg and vanilla. Add this mixture to the flour mixture, and stir until just combined.

Knead dough gently on a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a 7 in round circle, then, using a 2 1/2 inch round cookie cutter, cut the dough into rounds. (As you push the cookie cutter into the dough, rotate the cutter slightly. This will help avoid flat scones.) Place the rounds on the prepared cookie sheet, spacing a few inches apart. Brush the tops with a little cream, to help brown the tops of the scones during baking.

Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until nicely browned and a toothpick inserted into the center of a scone comes out clean. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Serve with fresh lemon curd or your favorite fruit preserves.

Source: adapted from Joy of Baking