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1
Sift 1st 4 dry ingredients into a large bowl; stir in lemon zest.
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2
Chop frozen butter into pieces slightly larger than pea size (you can also do this step in a food processor).
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3
Add frozen butter to dry ingredients and cut in with a pastry cutter or your fingertips, until butter pieces are pea-sized.
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4
Chop dried fruit into pea-sized pieces (if desired).
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5
Add dried fruit and almond slivers to dry ingredients and combine with your hands (run your hands down the sides of mixing bowl and lift up through center a few times).
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6
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients by gently removing ingredients from the center of bowl and stacking up the sides.
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7
In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, vanilla and heavy cream.
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8
Pour wet ingredient mix into center of well in dry ingredient mix.
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9
While turning the bowl with one hand, incorporate dry ingredients into well a little at a time.
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10
Once you have made it around the outside of the dry ingredients, fold mixture a few times until wet and dry ingredients are incorporated (if dough seems to thin, add a bit more flour and fold in; if dough seems to thick, add a touch more cream and incorporate.
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11
If needed, make these additions in small amounts).
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12
Remove dough from mixing bowl; wrap air-tight in plastic wrap; wrap tightly a 2nd time.
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13
Place wrapped dough in freezer until dough is no longer tacky and resists considerably when you poke it, yet is not frozen solid; approximately 3 hours.
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14
Sprinkle a large working surface with a light dusting of all-purpose flour.
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15
Remove dough from plastic wrap and center on floured work surface; sprinkle top of dough with a dusting of all-purpose flour as well.
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16
Using the palms of your hands, press dough outward into a level, 10x10-inch square; turning, flipping or dusting with additional flour as needed.
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17
Ensure square is level and of 1/2-inch thickness on all sides.
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18
Using the edge of a pastry scrapper or a pizza cutter (dusted with flour OR sprayed with non-stick cooking spray), cut the dough diagonally both ways from corner to corner, creating 4 equal-sized triangles.
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19
Next, cut dough from center to center of each side, lengthwise & crosswise; you will have now created 4 squares---each containing 2 triangles, or 8 triangles in total.
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20
Carefully lift each triangle-shaped piece using the flat portion of a pastry scrapper or a large spatula (dusted with flour OR sprayed with non-stick cooking spray), and place pieces onto a large (approximately 11x16-inch) lined cookie sheet (cookie sheet may be lined with a Silpat baking mat or parchment paper); leave AT LEAST 1 inch between each scone, using as many lined baking sheets as needed.
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21
Bake in a preheated, 375 degree F oven for about 10-12 minutes depending on the accuracy of your oven, or until scones have turned lightly golden on top and gently browned on bottom.
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22
Remove baking sheet from oven, allow scones to cool for a few minutes, then remove to wire rack to continue cooling.
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23
Serve scones warm or at room temperature, with honey, butter, fruit spreads, or an assortment of jams and jellies.
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24
Store leftover scones air-tight at room temperature.
