Preheat your oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. While the oven heats, zest your lemon fresh (you'll need 1.5 tbsp for the dough and 1 tsp for the glaze—I always zest fresh lemons rather than using pre-zested, as the aroma and flavor are noticeably more vibrant). Chop your strawberries into roughly 1/2-inch pieces and set aside. Cut your butter into small cubes so it's ready to work into the flour mixture.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and 1.5 tbsp of the fresh lemon zest from Step 1. Add the ground nutmeg to this dry mixture as well. Cut the cold butter cubes into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter, fork, or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter still visible. This texture is crucial—those small butter pieces create the light, flaky crumb scones are known for.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, cream, sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla essence. Pour this wet mixture into the dry ingredients from Step 2 and gently fold together with a spatula or wooden spoon until just combined—don't overmix, as this will develop too much gluten and make the scones tough. The dough should be slightly shaggy and barely hold together.

Gently fold the chopped strawberries from Step 1 into the dough from Step 3 until just distributed. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently shape it into a 1-inch thick circle (about 6-7 inches in diameter). Using a sharp knife, cut the circle into 8 wedges like a pizza pie, then place the scones on your prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.

Lightly brush the top of each scone with a little cream to help them brown beautifully. Bake in your preheated 400°F oven for 15-16 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. I like to keep an eye on them around the 14-minute mark to ensure they don't overbake, as every oven has hot spots.

While the scones bake, prepare the glaze by whisking together the sifted powdered sugar, lemon juice, and 1 tsp fresh lemon zest from Step 1 until smooth and pourable. Once the scones are out of the oven and have cooled for just 1-2 minutes, drizzle the glaze over the warm scones—the warmth will help it set slightly while still soaking in subtly. Let the scones cool for 5 minutes before serving to allow the glaze to set.