Preheat oven to 350°F; line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, stir together the hot water and cider mix until fully dissolved; set aside.

In a large bowl, stir together cake mix, pudding mix, applesauce, milk, and eggs until combined. Chill batter for at least 30 minutes.

Using two spoons or a small cookie scoop**, drop batter onto prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake 11-13 minutes, or until the tops of the cookies spring back when you touch them. Allow cookies to cool 5 minutes on the baking sheets before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Transfer whipped cream to a separate bowl, then return bowl to mixer. Switch to the paddle attachment.

To the bowl, add the cream cheese, cookie butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Beat on high until smooth. Add a third of the whipped cream to the bowl and continue beating until combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the rest of the whipped cream.

Transfer filling to a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip, or a gallon size zip-top bag with the corner cut off.

Pipe filling onto the bottom side of one cookie, then top with another unfrosted cookie, squishing them together slightly to form a sandwich. If not eating immediately, store whoopie pies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.