📋 Instructions

1. 1Heat the oven and prep — Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment. Keep the sheet in the fridge while you work so the dough stays cold.
2. 2Whisk the dry ingredients — In a large chilled bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Scrape the vanilla bean seeds into the mixture and rub them into the flour with your fingertips until evenly speckled.
3. 3Cut in the cold butter — Add the cubed cold butter and toss to coat. Cut it in with a pastry blender or your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse sand with some pea-sized butter pieces remaining, about 2 minutes.
4. 4Add the wet ingredients — Whisk the cold cream, egg, and vanilla extract together, then pour over the flour mixture. Stir with a fork just until a shaggy dough forms and no dry flour remains, about 20 seconds.
5. 5Pat and fold the dough — Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and pat into a rough rectangle. Fold it in thirds like a letter, rotate, and repeat twice more, then pat into a 7-inch (18cm) round about 1 inch (2.5cm) thick.
6. 6Cut the wedges — Cut the round into 8 wedges with a sharp knife or bench scraper, pressing straight down without sawing. Transfer to the chilled baking sheet, spacing them 2 inches apart.
7. 7Brush and bake — Brush the tops with the remaining 2 tablespoons of cream. Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 18 to 22 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and the edges look set, or until an instant-read thermometer in the center reads 200°F (93°C).
8. 8Cool and glaze — Transfer scones to a rack and cool for 10 minutes. Whisk the powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons cream and a splash of vanilla until pourable, then drizzle over the barely warm scones and let set for 5 minutes.