It's way too early to set out the cookies and milk. Apple CEO Tim Cook has indicated that it isn't even time to start talking about the Apple car.

Apple hasn't tried to hard to cover up the fact that it has been working on an electric car, which is likely due in large part to several telltale acquisitions and research in battery technologies.

Recently, during the company's annual shareholders meeting, someone tossed a hook into the waters with the hope that Cook would at least acknowledge the bait — and that, he did.

It was the first time Apple acknowledged its electric vehicle ambitions, though Cook gave nothing in the way of details. Here's what he said when a shareholder questioned him about the car:

"Do you remember when you were a kid, and Christmas Eve, it was so exciting, you weren't sure what was going to be downstairs? Well, it's going to be Christmas Eve for a while," Cook said.

Previously, Cook had flat-out dodged the car question. However, this time, at least he indicated that something is in the works. 

With the amount of man- and woman-power it'll take to develop the Apple Car, which could even be self-driving, Cook set the tone for new details that may leak about its efforts. The covert operation, believed to be code named "Project Titan," has a staff that reportedly numbers around 600 members.

So, even if some fuzzy shots of an Apple Car prototype appear on one of California's communal proving grounds, Cook is letting analysts and shareholders know more than one Christmas may pass by before the eve of the car's arrival.

Even a year ago, estimates for the Apple Car's arrival were set at 2020. However, the Project Titan unit was believed to be at 200 strong back then.

That estimate was for an electric vehicle. An autonomous electric vehicle could be much further away than that.

Whatever the case, the tech industry will have keep peeking through keyholes for any hope of finding out more about what the elves at Cupertino are up to.