Cream has a high fat content. Adding it to scone dough prevents the gluten proteins from forming tight bonds; instead, the proteins are coated with fat and slightly "slippery". Therefore, the scones have a more delicate structure. If you were to use a dairy product with a lower fat content (like half & half or milk) and mixed the dough more vigorously, you'd end up with less crumbly and less tender scones. I'd recommend embracing the crumbliness because it means the scones are melt-in-your-mouth delicious!

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