Preheat your oven to 425°F and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Dice the strawberries into 1/2-inch pieces and set aside. Cut the butter into small cubes and keep it cold—this is crucial for creating those flaky layers in your scones. I always keep my butter in the freezer for the last few minutes before using it because cold butter creates steam pockets as it melts, giving you that beautiful, tender crumb.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. This combines the leavening agent evenly throughout and prevents lumps in your final dough. Set this dry mixture aside—you'll use it in the next step.

Add the cold cubed butter to the dry ingredient mixture from Step 2. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour with a quick, light motion until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs—this should take about 2-3 minutes. Stop before the mixture becomes too fine; you want small, pea-sized pieces of butter remaining because they create the flaky layers in your scones.

In a separate bowl, whisk together 1 room-temperature egg, 0.75 cup milk, 0.5 tsp vanilla extract, and the sugar until well combined. The sugar will partially dissolve and the mixture will be smooth. This wet mixture will be added to your dry ingredients next.

Pour the wet ingredient mixture from Step 4 into the flour-butter mixture from Step 3 and gently stir with a wooden spoon or fork until almost combined. Add the diced strawberries and fold everything together until the dough just barely holds together—don't overwork it, as this will make your scones tough. I like to stop mixing when I still see a few streaks of flour; a slightly shaggy dough will give you the best texture.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and gently flatten it with your hands to about 3/4-inch thickness—avoid using a rolling pin, which compresses the dough. Using a 2 1/2-inch round cutter (or drinking glass), cut out scones by pressing straight down without twisting, which would seal the edges and prevent rising. Place the cut scones on your prepared baking tray, spacing them about 1 inch apart.

In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 egg with 1 teaspoon of milk to create an egg wash. Brush this mixture gently across the top of each scone—this will give them a beautiful golden-brown shine. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the tops are lightly golden and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Once baked, transfer the scones to a cooling rack and let them cool for at least 5 minutes before serving with jam and clotted cream.