In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
Cut the butter into small pieces and blend in the flour mixture with a pastry blender.
The mixture should look like coarse crumbs.
In a small measuring cup combine the whipping cream, beaten egg and vanilla.
Add this mixture to the flour mixture.
Stir until just combined.
Do not overmix this mixture.
Knead dough gently on a lightly floured surface.
Roll or pat the dough into a circle that is 7 inches round and about 3/4 to 1 inch thick.
Cut this circle into 8 triangular sections.
Place the scones on a parchment paper lined baking sheet or else a lightly greased pan.
Make mixture of one well-beaten egg with 1 TBS heavy cream.
Brush the scones with this mixture.
Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
These scones freeze very well.
This recipe is very good as is but there are ways to jazz it up a little.
When adding fruit or chocolate chips do so just before adding the cream mixture: You could add 1/3 cup dried cherries, or 1/3 cup miniature chocolate chips, or 1/2 cup raisins, or 2 tsp grated lemon peel and 1 TBS poppy seeds and 1 tsp almond extract (instead of vanilla), or 2 tsp grated orange peel and 1 tsp orange liquor (instead of vanilla).
