Preheat your oven to 220°C (425°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. While the oven heats, roughly chop the strawberries into 1/2-inch pieces and measure out your cold heavy cream—keeping it cold is crucial for creating those tender, fluffy layers in the scones. Zest your lemon and set everything within arm's reach of your mixing bowl.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the self-raising flour, salt, superfine sugar, vanilla powder, and lemon zest until evenly distributed. This combines all your dry ingredients and ensures the vanilla powder and lemon zest are evenly dispersed throughout the dough. Now gently fold in the chopped strawberries, being careful not to crush them—you want distinct pieces of fruit in your finished scones, not a purée.

Pour the cold heavy cream into the dry ingredient mixture from Step 2 and stir gently with a wooden spoon or spatula until a shaggy dough just comes together—this should take only 30-45 seconds of mixing. I prefer to use cold cream instead of traditional butter and milk because it creates incredibly tender scones with better rise and a richer flavor. Don't overmix; lumpy dough is actually what you want here, as it creates those desirable tender layers.

Lightly flour a clean work surface and gently transfer your dough onto it. Using your hands, lightly pat the dough down to an even thickness of about 1 cm (roughly 3/8 inch)—don't compress it too firmly or you'll lose the airy texture. Using a sharp knife or pastry cutter, cut the dough into rounds or wedges and place each scone on your prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart so they can rise without touching.

Transfer the baking sheet to your preheated oven and bake for 8-10 minutes, until the scones are puffed and the tops are golden brown. The scones should double slightly in height and develop a light golden crust. I always check them at 8 minutes first—every oven is slightly different, and you want to catch them just at that perfect moment when they're set but still tender.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and immediately transfer the scones to a wire cooling rack using a spatula. Let them cool for at least 5 minutes before serving—this allows them to set properly while still maintaining their warmth and tender crumb. Serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream and jam if desired.