Get the oven ready: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius). To keep the pastries from adhering to the baking pan, line it with parchment paper.
Get the Filling Ready: Put the vanilla essence, powdered sugar, and softened cream cheese in a mixing bowl. Blend until even and creamy. You may adjust the sweetness of the filling by adding an additional tablespoon of powdered sugar if desired. Remove off the table.
Be ready with the Berries: Wash the berries well and pat them dry. Prepare the strawberries by hulling and dicing them. Some berries may be briefly mashed to release their juices, making the filling more jam-like.
Unfold the puff pastry sheets that have thawed and roll them out gently on a lightly floured board to smooth any wrinkles. Make a total of 18 squares by cutting each page into 9 equal pieces.
Fill the Pastry: In the middle of each square of pastry, put a spoonful of the cream cheese mixture. Before serving, garnish the cream cheese with a few berries. Overfilling makes it harder to seal the dough, so be cautious.
Make the Pastry Balls: Pinch together the four corners of each square to create a ball, then fill it with your filling. To keep the filling from escaping during baking, pinch and close any edges that aren’t completely sealed. After you have the baking sheet ready, set the pastry balls on top with the seam side down.
Lightly brush the beaten egg over each dough ball to create a glossy, golden coating. Granulated sugar, if liked, may be sprinkled on top for a little more sweetness and texture.
Puff the pastry balls until they are golden brown and puffy, about 15 to 18 minutes in a preheated oven. The crust should be crispy and the contents hot.
Once taken out of the oven, let the dough balls aside to cool somewhat on the baking sheet before dusting with sugar. Before serving, dust with powdered sugar for an attractive finishing touch.